Gonzaga vs. BYU Pick
Is No. 1 Gonzaga going to cruise to another win today when it goes on the road to face BYU tonight at 11PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Gonzaga is favored on the road tonight, as the Bulldogs are getting odds of -8.5 points against BYU. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 161 points. Gonzaga has won and covered the spread in three of the last four meetings with BYU.
Gonzaga is a perfect 22-0 on the season and 10-0 in the Mountain West following a 96-49 win over Pepperdine this weekend. The Bulldogs have covered the spread in eight of their last 10 games and they sit 15-4 against the spread for the season. The Zags average 85.2 points per game on offense while holding opponents to just 61.4 on defense. On the road, Zaga’s offense actually averages 88.2 points per game. Nigel Williams-Goss is averaging 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game to lead the team while Przemek Karnowski is adding 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
BYU is coming off an 85-77 win over Loyola Marymount to improve to 16-7 on the season and 7-3 in the West Coast Conference. The Cougars have failed to cover the spread in two straight and are 9-11 against the spread for the season. BYU also has an offense that can score, as the Cougars average 82.6 per game. However, its defense isn’t nearly as tough, allowing 72.7 per game. Nick Emery is questionable for the game with an illness tonight. He averages 13.9 points per game for the Cougars. Eric Mika is the team leader with 20.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest.
NCAA BB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
Gonzaga has been rolling. Obviously it’s rolling at 22-0, but the Bulldogs seem to be getting stronger. They have won their last 10 by at least 15 points and they are holding their last five opponents to just 53 points per game. While BYU may be a slight step up in competition, I don’t think the Cougars have what it takes to stay within 10 points of Gonzaga.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: GONZAGA -8.5