In the major professional sports, there are usually a handful of teams in each sport that have a shot at winning it all in any given year. Things get a little trickier in collegiate sports, as you could potentially be looking at a scenario where you can make a solid argument for 10 or more teams once March Madness begins. While all the focus on college basketball is usually on the tournament, you cannot discount the regular season.
This is where the top teams strive to get the highest possible ranking so that they have a clearer path to a national championship once the official tournament bracket goes into place. As it stands right now, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are looking good in the #4 spot, but they will also know that a bad loss could send them tumbling down the rankings. They will be looking to avoid that sort of banana peel when they head into Santa Clara on Thursday night to face the Broncos. Gonzaga is in as a 22-point favorite for this one, with the point total set at 151.
Gonzaga vs Santa Clara NCAA Basketball Odds & Game Info
He’s climbing 🆙 the @ZagMBB career lists!
Hear from senior @JoshPerk13 on his career at Gonzaga ⬇️ #WCChoops pic.twitter.com/sb26wzerN9 — TheW.tv (@TheWtv) 21 de enero de 2019
- When: Thursday, January 24 at 11 PM EST
- Where: Leavey Center, Santa Clara
- TV: ESPN+ In the major professional sports, there are usually a handful of teams in each sport that have a shot at winning it all in any given year. Things get a little trickier in collegiate sportsIn the major professional sports, there are usually a handful of teams in each sport that have a shot at winning it all in any given year. Things get a little trickier in collegiate sports
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- NCAA Basketball Odds: Gonzaga Bulldogs -22 (Total 151)
Why bet on the Gonzaga Bulldogs?
It’s easy to forget that the Gonzaga Bulldogs made it all the way to the National Championship Game a couple of years back, a game where they ultimately came out on the losing side of things. This looks like a team ready to take another run, although there has to be some concern that they lost back to back games to ranked opponents a few weeks back.
That said, they have bounced back nicely since then, reeling off 9 straight wins, a run that has them sitting #4 nationally, as well as at the top of the WCC conference. The Bulldogs have handled the favorite label quite well this season, going 13-5 ATS in the 18 games they have started as the favorite. After going on a run that saw them cover in 7 straight games, they have now failed to cover in each of their last 2.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 91.10
- Field Goal Percentage: 52.42
- Three-Point Percentage: 36.54
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.27
- Total Rebounds: 39.75
- Total Score: 67.70
- Field Goal Percentage: 39.07
- Three-Point Percentage: 30.44
- Free Throw Percentage: 69.65
- Total Rebounds: 33.80
Why bet on the Santa Clara Broncos?
The Santa Clara Broncos are coming into this one with an 11-9 record on the season, as well as a 3-3 record in conference play. Among the 3 losses that they have taken against WCC opponents, the Broncos suffered a 91-48 defeat at the hands of the Gonzaga Bulldogs on the road just a few short weeks ago.
That loss sparked a run that has seen them lose 3 of their last 5 games, and while that is certainly reason for concern, it should be noted that they have been able to cover the spread in 8 of their last 10, which includes 6 games that they started as the underdog. Overall, they are now 8-4 ATS as the underdog, including a 2-1 ATS record as the home dog.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 70.75
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.94
- Three-Point Percentage: 36.47
- Free Throw Percentage: 69.84
- Total Rebounds: 34.25
- Total Score: 70.35
- Field Goal Percentage: 42.59
- Three-Point Percentage: 31.10
- Free Throw Percentage: 70.55
- Total Rebounds: 34.10
Gonzaga vs Santa Clara NCAA Basketball Betting Trends
- Gonzaga is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
- Gonzaga is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Gonzaga’s last 5 games on the road
- Santa Clara is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
- Santa Clara is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Santa Clara’s last 5 games at home
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Gonzaga vs Santa Clara
While it is certainly a large spread that the Bulldogs need to beat here, I think it is one that they can cover. They manhandled the Broncos last time out, and I expect more of the same in this one.
Score: Gonzaga Bulldogs 84 – Santa Clara Broncos 59
