Mike White has Georgia back in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, and this time they are an 8-seed and will face 9-seed Saint Louis in the first round.
The 8/9 matchup is typically one of the most exiciting matchups in the first round of the tournament. The teams in these games are evenly matched, so more often than not they result in really close games.
That is exactly how Vegas oddsmakers see this game playing out as FanDuel Sportsbook has Georgia favored by 2.5 points.
Vegas oddsmakers are on Georgia's side in the NCAA Tournament
It is a cause for celebration whenever the Bulldogs make the NCAA Tournament. Georgia has struggled the last few decades just to make the Big Dance, so being included in the tournament field is a big deal.
Their path however could've been much better if they would've won their opening round game in the SEC Tourament against Ole Miss. The officials however made two horrendous goaltending calls that resulted in Georgia losing to the Rebels by four points.
Vegas oddsmakers still have a lot of confidence in Georgia though even if the SEC did them no favors. Sure 2.5 points isn't a lot, but being predicted to win an NCAA Tournament game is a position Georgia isn't used to being in.
Last year Georgia played in the 8/9 matchup against Gonzaga. Vegas once again predicted a very close game, but Gonzaga blew UGA out en route to a 21 point victory. The hope now is that last year gave Georgia the experience they need to win at least one game in the Big Dance this season.
If Georgia beats Saint Louis they likely will have a date with 1-seed Michigan up next. Vegas undoubtedly will favor the Wolverines by a large margin, but that doesn't matter right now. Georgia needs to beat Saint Louis before they can worry about that, but winning one game in the NCAA Tournament would cement this season as a very good year for Georgia basketball even if they lost to Michigan in the following game.