The Jacksonville State Gamecocks (21-10) and the Auburn Tigers (27-5) are set to square off in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon. Jacksonville State, the No. 15 seed, fell to Jacksonville in the Ohio Valley semifinals. Auburn, the No. 2 seed, was upset in the SEC quarterfinals, losing 67-62 to Texas A&M.
Tipoff is at 12:40 p.m. ET from Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Tigers are favored by 15.5 points in the latest Jacksonville State vs. Auburn odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under is 138. Before locking in any Auburn vs. Jacksonville State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Auburn vs. Jacksonville State and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2022. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Jacksonville State vs. Auburn:
- Jacksonville State vs. Auburn spread: Tigers -15.5
- Jacksonville State vs. Auburn over-under: 138 points
- Jacksonville State vs. Auburn money line: Gamecocks +1000, Tigers -2000
- JVST: The Gamecocks are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 neutral site games as an underdog
- AUB: The Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last four NCAA Tournament games
Why Auburn can cover
Freshman forward Jabari Smith was one of the top scorers in the SEC this season. Smith ranked fourth in the conference in scoring at 17.1 points per game, while also averaging seven rebounds. The 6’10” forward also spaces the floor for the Tigers, shooting 43 percent from downtown. The Georgia native has scored more than 20 points in 11 games. On March 2 against Mississippi State, Smith had 27 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 3-for-5 from 3-point range.
Sophomore guard KD Johnson averages 12.3 points and 2.8 rebounds, and consistently caused havoc on defense. He ranked fifth in the SEC in steals. Johnson is fearless when driving to the basket and knows how to finish through contact. On March 5 against South Carolina, the Georgia native tallied 18 points, three rebounds and two steals. This was Johnson’s 20th game with at least two steals.
Why Jacksonville State can cover
Senior guard Darian Adams is leading the way for the Gamecocks. He averages a team-high 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Adams is also a reliable option from deep, shooting 38 percent from 3-point land. The Alabama native has knocked down at least three 3-pointers in 12 games. On Feb. 23 against Eastern Kentucky, Adams dropped 27 points, four rebounds, four assists and shot 5-for-12 from deep.
Junior guard Demaree King is another scoring threat in the backcourt for Jacksonville State. King is logging 10.7 points and 2.1 assists, while connecting on a team-high 46 percent of his attempts from downtown. The Oklahoma native has scored in double figures in 16 games. One of his best games of the year came in a win against Little Rock. King tallied 32 points and knocked down nine 3-pointers in that victory.
How to make Jacksonville State vs. Auburn picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 144 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Auburn vs. Jacksonville State? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
