Georgia Tech vs Loyola Chicago Midwest Region Picks: Put Some Respect On It

Editor's note: This preview was written and published prior to the news that Georgia Tech star, and ACC Player of the Year, Moses Wright would not play following a positive COVID-19 test.

The Loyola Chicago Ramblers and Sister Jean return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their magical Final Four run in 2018, but if they want more March Madness magic, they’ll have to beat the ACC Champion in their opening game.

The surprising part is who that ACC Champion is this season – the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who despite their impressive showing in the conference tourney will be 2.5-point underdogs for this first-round matchup.

Check out our best Georgia Tech vs. Loyola Chicago March Madness picks and predictions for college basketball betting action Friday, March 19.

Georgia Tech vs Loyola Chicago odds

Sharp money and line movement report

By Patrick Everson

The news of the week was Georgia Tech star Moses Wright, the ACC Player of Year, being ruled out for today's game due to COVID issues. FanDuel opened Loyola-Chicago -2.5 and quickly moved to -3 Sunday, then receded to -2. By Tuesday, the Ramblers returned to -3, and then came the Wednesday night announcement on Wright, which helped pump the line up to -5.5. Still, it's two-way point-spread action with a lean toward the Yellow Jackets, who are taking 57 percent of bets and 56 percent of money. The total is down to 124 from a 127.5 opener, again largely due to Wright's absence, though the Over is getting 79 percent of bets/72 percent of cash.

Check out the full line movement for this game

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Loyola Chicago Ramblers betting preview

Injuries

Georgia Tech: No injuries to report.
Loyola Chicago: No injuries to report.

Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Over is 4-1 in Georgia Tech's last five games overall and 6-1 in Loyola-Chicago's last seven neutral site games. Find more NCAA betting trends for Georgia Tech vs. Loyola Chicago.

Against the spread (ATS) pick

Yes, it’s hard to imagine the ACC Champion as an underdog in the first round of March Madness, but that’s the reality before us, as Georgia Tech is getting 2.5-points in this matchup.

Obviously, there are some asterisks with the Yellow Jackets’ title win as they were automatically advanced through the semifinals after top-seeded Virginia had to pull out due to COVID-19 protocols. But you can’t take anything away from their win over a very good Florida State team in the final.

Overall, Georgia Tech has won eight straight games, going 7-1 ATS in the process. The Yellow Jackets are a team with guys that can take over a game at any time with the likes of Moses Wright, Jose Alvarado, and Michael Devoe. All three shoot 38.8 percent from 3-point range. On the other end of the floor, they are scrappy creating points off turnovers.

But if there is a team that knows something about defense it’s Loyola-Chicago. The Ramblers give up the fewest points per game in the country at just 55.7 per contest and rank first in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom.

Loyola has won six games in a row on the way to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament crown, and for those who don’t know much about the Ramblers this time around, you could kind of call them Virginia Lite. They play defense and run the offense at a super slow pace.

While Georgia Tech had trouble with the real Virginia, it's good enough to keep this one close against a Loyola team that can be streaky on offense. Take the points with the ACC Champs.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech +2.5 (-110)

Over/Under Pick

It’s not surprising to see a total of 124.5 when one of the teams has arguably the best defense in the country. But is that number low enough to consider taking the Over?

First of all, the Missouri Valley is a very good basketball conference, but in Loyola-Chicago’s lone game against a Power 5 team, they allowed 77 points to a less-than-great Wisconsin offense. Now, the Ramblers will have to slow down a Georgia Tech team that is averaging 77.1 points during their eight-game winning streak.

Second, the Ramblers have a capable offense. Even if it is slow. They're led by Cameron Krutwig and Lucas Williamson, and averaged 71.4 points per game for the year, while shooting over 50 percent from the floor. 

Georgia Tech is solid on defense, but lacks size on the inside and isn’t very deep, so Loyola should have some success running its sets. 

The defenses will keep the scoring down a bit, but there are too many playmakers on both sides to stay below this number.

PREDICTION: Over 124.5 (-110)

First Half Moneyline Pick

It has already come out that Loyola-Chicago is feeling a little disrespected by their seeding, but to be fair, their strength of schedule ranks 128th in the country. But if anyone else could feel disrespected by the committee (and perhaps their March Madness odds), it's Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets were the ACC’s fourth-best team heading into the conference tournament, and while some things went their way, they won the games in front of them. They should come out firing in this game, which means they are providing some good value on the first-half moneyline.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech First Half Moneyline (+110)

Georgia Tech vs Loyola Chicago betting card

• Georgia Tech +2.5 (-110)
• Over 124.5 (-110)
• Georgia Tech First Half Moneyline (+110)

Where can I bet on March Madness odds?

March Madness is one of the most popular times of the year for sports bettors, which of course makes it one of the busiest times of the year for online sportsbooks. Every betting site will offer March Madness odds but the top sites are safe and secure, offer a wide range of banking options, and give you a ton of markets for each game. Check out the best March Madness betting sites in your region.

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