No. 8 Gonzaga clashes with No. 18 UConn at 8:00 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden for the Hall of Fame Series. With the Bulldogs laying 2.5 and the total sitting at 152.5, what’s the best bet in tonight’s college hoops tilt on FOX?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Gonzaga Bulldogs (-2) at UConn Huskies (+2); o/u 152.5
8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 14, 2024
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Gonzaga vs. UConn Public Betting: Bettors Backing Huskies
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 58% of public bettors are currently backing UConn when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Ike quiet in Bulldogs’ first loss
Graham Ike ended with five points (1-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds and one block across 14 minutes during Wednesday’s 86-78 OT loss to West Virginia. While Ike has started all six games at center for the previously-undefeated Bulldogs, he has yet to see the court for more than 21 minutes in a single contest, which explains why both his scoring and rebounding numbers are down from a year ago. Both Braden Huff and Ben Gregg have eaten into his playing time considerably, as the two forwards logged 30 and 26 minutes Wednesday, respectively. Ike essentially sat for most of the second half despite not being in any sort of foul trouble, and given the end result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get more run Thursday against Indiana in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Nowell game-time decision vs. Zags
Ahmad Nowell (shoulder) will be a game-time decision for Connecticut’s clash with Gonzaga on Saturday, Adam Zagoria of NJ.com reports. Nowell was expected to miss 1.5 to two weeks as of Dec. 7, so if he suits up on Sunday, that would be slightly ahead of schedule. The freshman guard averages 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists this season, and if he can’t go against the Zags, his next chance to suit up will come on Dec. 18 against Xavier.
Gonzaga vs. UConn CBB Prediction:
Take Gonzaga. UConn won the previous two meetings between these two teams, but I also feel like the Huskies had a better team in previous years. With wins over UMES, Baylor and Texas, I know UConn has since rallied. However, I can’t shake that three-loss span the Huskies had at the end of November when they lost outright as 8-point favorites to Memphis, 14.5-point favorites at Colorado and 8-point favorites at Dayton.
If anyone can assure me that the UConn team that beat Baylor and Texas will show up tonight at MGS, I’d gladly back the Huskies. I think the better bet, however, is to back the Bulldogs coming off their first loss of the season (a game in which they blew a big lead at halftime to Kentucky).
Gonzaga vs. UConn College Hoops Prediction: Gonzaga Bulldogs -2