Subscribe
Follow Us
West Coast Basketball will be the talk of the night as Gonzaga hosts the University of San Diego for a conference battle! It's time to continue our college basketball odds series with a San Diego-Gonzaga prediction and pick.
Known for their Pioneer Conference domination on the gridiron, USD is making strides in the basketball program. It's been about a decade's worth of frustration at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, however, Steve Lavin has taken over head-coaching duties. Lavin is one of the more well-known coaches and broadcasters for the sport of basketball. He coached at UCLA from 1991-03 and was the head coach from 1996-03. He then coached at St. John's from 2010-15. If there is anyone who can get this program in the right direction, it's Lavin. Lavin and the Toreros are (11-16) on the season.
Gonzaga has been the best team in this conference for as long as I can remember. Saint Mary's is ranked right behind them and actually beat the Bulldogs earlier this season. Yet, Mark Few and his team know how to win and will certainly be a threat in the NCAA tournament once again. Gonzaga is (23-5) on the year but is second behind Saint Mary's in the conference with a (12-2) record. SM and Gonzaga will meet on Saturday for the final game of the regular season.
Here are the San Diego-Gonzaga college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: San Diego-Gonzaga Odds
USD: +22.5 (-102)
Gonzaga: -22.5 (-120)
Over: 164.5 (-110)
Under: 164.5 (-110)
How To Watch San Diego vs. Gonzaga
TV: ESPN2
Stream: Watch ESPN
Time: 11:00 ET/8:00 PT
Article Continues Below
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why USD Could Cover The Spread
USD has a shot at covering this spread because of how massive it is. However, Gonzaga will give them fits all game long. The key will be to shut down Drew Timme, who is one of the best forwards in the game. He is averaging north of 20 points per game and has had a lot of success against USD in the past. Last year, Gonzaga put up 92 on USD. This will be the one and only meeting of this season. They are coming off a close battle with Saint Mary's but lost 62-59.
The Toreros started the year playing very well, but injuries have gotten in the way of them remaining consistent. Marcellus Ellington leads the team averaging 17.6 points per game and 6.9 rebounds. They have four players who average double digits in scoring. Jase Townsend is second averaging 15.3 points, Eric Williams Jr. is 3rd at 14.5, and Seikou Sisoho Jawara is 4th at 11.3 per game.
Why Gonzaga Could Cover The Spread
This is a rather large spread for them to cover but the good news is that they have dominated USD in the past. They should have no issue scoring at least 75+ points tonight and might even get close to 100. USD allows 79 points per game and since Gonzaga has one of the top offenses in the country, I expect them to light up the arena. Timme has been the man once again as one of the best players in the country. Look for him to be a huge factor tonight.
Gonzaga also has four players who average north of 10 points per game as Timme leads the way at 21.3 per game. Julian Strawther is second averaging 15.5 per game and has 6.5 rebounds to go with it. Rasir Bolton and Anton Watson both average 11.1 per game as that core-4 will be looking to run up the score tonight. The Bulldogs are coming off a win over Pepperdine 97-88.
Final San Diego-Gonzaga Prediction & Pick
Gonzaga should easily win but taking them to cover 23 points is too high. However, the over is a great call as well.
Final San Diego-Gonzaga Prediction & Pick: San Diego +22.5 (-102); Over 164.5 (-110)
