San Francisco vs #1 Gonzaga | NCAA Men’s College Basketball Lines Predictions & Analysis Game

San Francisco is considered an NCAA Tournament bubble team but the Dons would essentially guarantee themselves at worst an at-large berth to the Big Dance with an upset of No. 1 Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals on Monday from Las Vegas. Gonzaga is a double-digit favorite on the NCAAB odds.

How to Bet San Francisco vs. Gonzaga NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

• When: Monday, 9 PM ET
• Where: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas
• TV: ESPN
• Stream: ESPN app
• Radio: Tunein.com
• Opening NCAAB Lines: Gonzaga -12 (total 155)

Season Series

Gonzaga won both regular-season meetings. They last played on Feb. 24 at San Francisco and the Zags won 89-73. Chet Holmgren had 21 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Zags. Drew Timme just missed a triple-double with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Julian Strawther added 15 points. Khalil Shabazz scored 17 points for San Francisco. The Dons’ last win in the rivalry was a 66-65 home victory on Feb. 18, 2012.

Why Bet on San Francisco?

The Dons (24-8) advanced to the WCC Tournament semifinals with a 75-63 win over BYU on Saturday. Logging his sixth 20+ point performance of the year and his third in the last five games, Khalil Shabazz was named Player of the Game after finishing with a game-high 22 points. The versatile guard tallied 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 36 minutes played.

Combining for 40 total points alongside Shabazz, Jamaree Bouyea poured in 18 points, while also adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. He played all 40 minutes for the third straight game and ninth time this season., USF held BYU to 37.9 percent (22-58) from the floor and 15.0 percent (3-20) from distance as the Dons led in fast break points (18-7) and bench points (15-11).

Head coach Todd Golden is now 4-2 in West Coast Conference tournament games, which includes wins in USF’s first appearance in each tournament he has coached in.

Bouyea and forward Yauhen Massalski were named to the First Team All-WCC while Shabazz earned a spot on the Second Team All-WCC.

Bouyea in the top five in the conference in total minutes (1, 107, first), minutes per game (35.7, first), made field goals (198, first), total points (528, second), total steals (54, third), points per game (17.0, fourth) and assists (126, fourth). Proving to be a workhorse for USF no matter the opponent, the versatile guard also finished in the top ten in total blocks (26, sixth), made three-pointers (67, sixth) and defensive rebounds (142, eighth). Bouyea will leave USF as one of the most accomplished athletes in program history as he is also the program’s all-time wins leader (98 wins) and is first all-time in games played (158). Bouyea also sits second all-time in made three-pointers (242), third all-time in total steals (200) and total assists (413) and eighth all-time in total points (1,659).

Massalski’s 13 double-doubles led the WCC and ranked eighteenth nationally. He paced the WCC in offensive rebounds (105) and total rebounds (292) this season while also ranking second in rebounds per game (9.4), total blocks (70) and field goal percentage (60.0). He also finished in the top ten in total points (423, eighth) and points per 40 minutes (20.1, ninth).

San Francisco’s 24 wins are the school’s most since the program was reinstated in 1985-86.  USF has six Quad 1 + 2 wins away from home this year, including road wins at BYU and Arizona State as well as a neutral site victory over UAB in November to capture the 2021 Las Vegas Invitational title.

Why Bet on Gonzaga?

The Zags (24-3) are going to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament regardless of whether they win the WCC Tournament or not. They do come off a 67-57 loss at Saint Mary’s in the regular-season finale on Feb. 26. Saint Mary’s ended Gonzaga’s 17-game winning streak, beating a No. 1 team for the first time since knocking off the Bulldogs in the 2019 conference tournament title game. Gonzaga had beaten the Gaels handily two weeks earlier and had won 34 consecutive conference games, 33 by double-digits.

“They were extremely more aggressive. They got after us and played us really, really physical,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said of Saint Mary’s. “That was it. When you’re the most aggressive team and most physical team, probably nine times out of 10 you’re going to win.”

Gonzaga’s Drew Timme was named the 2022 West Coast Conference Player of the Year and Chet Holmgren earned Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Timme, Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard were selected First Team All-WCC.

The West Coast Conference named a Zag Player of the Year for the fourth straight season. Timme was Gonzaga’s 19th WCC Player of the Year. Holmgren is the 12th Bulldog to earn Newcomer of the Year honors, and ninth to receive Defensive Player of the Year.

Timme, a Preseason All-American, was named First Team All-Conference last season, after being named All-Freshman in 2019-20. He is second in the West Coast Conference averaging 17.6 points per game, and first scoring 18.5 points per WCC outing. The junior is third in the conference shooting 58.3 percent from the field, which ranks 17th in the nation. He is eighth in the WCC grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game, and sixth blocking 0.89 shots per game.

Holmgren tied the West Coast Conference record averaging 3.7 blocks per league game, matching Hondre Brewer’s mark in 2002. Holmgren is fourth in the nation with 97 blocks and fourth averaging 3.59 blocks per game. His 97 blocked shots are the fourth-most in a single season in WCC history. Holmgren is two blocks shy of seventh for most in a career in program history. The Minneapolis native has more blocks (97) than missed shots from the field (85) so far this season. He is seventh in the country shooting 61.6 percent from the field, which leads the WCC. Holmgren is fifth in the nation making 72.7 percent inside-the-arc. Holmgren leads the conference grabbing 9.7 rebounds per game, which is 21st in the country. He is eighth in the nation pulling down 7.96 defensive boards per outing. He is eighth in the WCC averaging 14.4 points per game.

GU is 61-16 all-time in the WCC Tournament with 19 titles and 27 finals appearances, including each of the last 24 seasons. The Zags are 28-3 in the tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas. The Zags have never lost an opening game of the tournament in Las Vegas, winning all 13.

Gonzaga has won the opening game of tournament the past 24 years, dating back to a loss in 64-59 in the 1997 quarterfinals to fourth-seeded San Diego as a fifth-seed. The Bulldogs are 27-2 in semifinal games at the tournament, winning all 13 in Las Vegas. GU is one victory from clinching its 15th straight 25-win season, and is currently the only program in the country with 14 straight 25-win seasons. Kansas (2005-20) owns the NCAA record with 15 straight 25-win seasons.

 Game Trends

• Dons are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 Monday games.
• Dons are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
• Dons are 8-18-1 ATS in their last 27 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
• Bulldogs are 5-2-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
• Bulldogs are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 neutral site games.
• Favorite is 3-0-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

Expert Prediction

• Gonzaga 82, San Francisco 72

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