2013 College Basketball Gonzaga vs. Butler Picks & Predictions
By ATSSportsline.com
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (ATS Consultants) – A pair of ranked teams will battle at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday night when No. 13 Butler hosts No. 8 Gonzaga at 9:00PM ET.
Last game: (12/20/11) GONZAGA (-13) over Butler, 71-55. Gonzaga (17-1 SU, 9-6-1 ATS) gets a break as they will miss Butler's top scorer, Rotnei Clarke, who is out with a severely sprained neck. Butler (15-2 SU, 10-5 ATS) won without Clarke on Wednesday, in their 62-47 win over Richmond, giving 9. Gonzaga has won eight straight games including Thursday's 71-49 win over Portland at home, giving 15.5. Gonzaga travels to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. to face Butler at 9pmET.
ODDS: Oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv have installed Butler as a 2.5-point underdog versus Gonzaga, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 137. Gonzaga enters the game with a 17-1 overall record while Butler is 15-2 overall.
LINE MOVEMENT: Gonzaga opened as a 2-point favorite but the spread has been bet up to 2.5 at most sports books. As for the total, it opened at 139 and has dropped two full points to 137.
PUBLIC BETTING: Of the wagers placed on tonight’s game, 93% of college basketball public bettors currently favor Gonzaga. This information is subject to change, however, so make sure you click on the link provided for the most up-to-date public betting numbers.
NCAA FREE PICK: Take Gonzaga. According to latest college basketball trends, Gonzaga is 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win, 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game and is 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. Butler is 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game.
Gonzaga and Butler are the top non-BCS programs in the nation. Butler (3-0 A10) has won 12 straight since losing to Illinois in Maui two months ago. The Zags are off to the best start in school history and has its own laundry list of big-time wins. The Zags have beaten Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia of the Big 12, Clemson of the ACC and Washington State of the Pac-12. Like Butler, Gonzaga's only loss came to Illinois. Gonzaga is built to finally get to where Butler has been twice-the Final Four. The Zags are big, strong and deep as Portland found out when 7-foot center Kelly Olynyk, the WCC's top scorer, spent 14 minutes of the first half on the bench because of foul trouble. Gonzaga still won 71-49. The loss of Clarke, who averaged over 16ppg, didn't bother Butler against Richmond, but they will miss him in this matchup.
SATURDAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICK: GONZAGA BULLDOGS -2.5
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