George Washington vs. Saint Louis Prediction & Best Bets: Will the Billikens Survive and Advance?
Written by: Eddie Griffin
Published: Thu Mar 12, 2026, 11:23 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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With less than 72 hours until Selection Sunday, it's time to sweat for many bubble teams, who are relying on the likes of Georgetown, George Washington, and others to not get any wild ideas over the next few days. Already, that sweat has intensified with Miami (Ohio) falling to UMass in the Mid-American Conference tournament. It will only intensify if GW can match the Minutemen with a win vs. Saint Louis in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament (11:30 a.m. ET, USA Network).
With the RedHawks losing their first game of the season, the MAC could be set to receive two March Madness bids. That is, if the committee rewards their 31 wins and doesn't penalize them for what those 31 wins lack.
Things remain up in the air in the Mountain West (a potential one-bid conference) and perhaps in the Big East as well with Seton Hall in the tournament semis. But the biggest bubble variables focus squarely on the Atlantic 10.
Will the conference receive just one bid? Or will it receive three? Friday's games will be key. The likes of Auburn, SMU, and Texas will have at least one eye on George Washington vs. Saint Louis and Duquesne vs. VCU (5 p.m. ET, USA Network). If the Billikens lose before Sunday's championship game and the Rams reach the championship game but lose, the A-10 could receive three bids, which would be a nightmare for bubble boys.
In the first matchup between the two teams this season, GW put an almighty scare into Saint Louis. But can they go a step further and send a few fanbases into a frenzy? Whatever the outcome, Lucky Rebel and other top online sportsbooks expect a high-scoring game at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
GW vs. Saint Louis Prediction and Analysis
After starting 24-1, the Billikens dropped three of their last six regular season games. But they should be in the field even without the auto bid, and there shouldn't be any lingering issues from last Saturday's 86-57 loss at George Mason.
That said, George Washington will enter its rematch vs. Saint Louis with confidence that an upset could be in the cards, given how the first matchup went
The Revolutionaries led by 15 late in the first half and 13 with 17 minutes left, and after a 15-0 run saw the Billikens flip an eight-point deficit into a seven-point lead with under six minutes remaining, rallied and even led again briefly in the late stages.
But with the game tied at 76 in the final minute, George Washington missed two go-ahead opportunities. They were then made to pay for it when Robbie Avila nailed a go-ahead three with three ticks left.
That was a real missed opportunity, but GW knows what it takes to win vs. Saint Louis. And Chris Caputo's club can be heartened by the fact that they put in that performance on the road, where they went 3-7 SU and ATS in the regular season.
But can they put in a similar shift on a neutral court in Pittsburgh? George Washington has depth many teams would love, with nine players averaging at least 19.4 minutes per game and scoring at least 6.2 points per game. Overall, the Revolutionaries average well over 80 points per game and average 10 made threes per game. Entering this matchup, they rank among the conference leaders in both categories.
It has been hit-or-miss in A-10 play, but this is a team that clearly has some firepower. Saint Louis should survive and advance, but they will have to work for it.
GW vs. Saint Louis Best Bets
George Washington/Saint Louis Over 162 (-110 at Lucky Rebel)
Bart Torvik's Friday projections have this matchup down as an 86-80 Saint Louis win, and though nerves could very well come into play, I quite like the prospects for the points to be plentiful here.
Even after ending the regular season with a massive dud, Saint Louis is still averaging 87.8 points per game. Also, the Billikens enter A-10 tournament action shooting 40.5% from three and 51.3% overall.
As with GW, that success is well distributed. Nine Saint Louis players averaging 5.6 PPG (and averaging at least 16 minutes per game).
These are two of the more efficient teams in the country on the offensive end. Saint Louis averages 1.188 points per possession, while GW averages 1.144 points per possession. Given the tempo that we should see in this one and how many scoring opportunities should result, the over is an easy take here.
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