It’s arguably the game of the year in the West Coast Conference on Thursday night as an excellent San Francisco team visits top-ranked Gonzaga – which actually could lose at home for the first time in a few years (but probably won’t). The Zags are still sizable favorites on the NCAAB odds.
How to Bet San Francisco at Gonzaga NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info
- When: Thursday, 11 PM ET
- Where: McCarthey Athletic Center
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Stream: CBS Sports app
- Radio: Tunein.com
- Opening NCAAB Lines: Gonzaga -15.5 (total 161)
Last Season
Last season, Gonzaga trashed San Francisco twice. The most recent meeting was Feb. 13 and the Zags were also ranked No. 1 and rolled 100-61 at home. Jacob Timme scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Zags and he’s still there. Khalil Shabazz and Jamaree Bouyea each scored 14 points for San Francisco, which lost for the 21st consecutive time to Gonzaga since its last victory in 2012.
Why Bet on San Francisco?
The Dons (15-3) come off a 71-69 home loss to a very good BYU team on Saturday. USF led 65-61 with about three minutes left but BYU outscored the Dongs 10-4 down the stretch. A final three-point attempt from Jamaree Bouyea at the buzzer fell just short.
Bouyea finished with a game-high 19 points while also adding two assists, one block and one steal. It was the 15th time this season in which the Seaside native he scored double figures and the second time this year in which he has played all 40 minutes of the contest (also at Arizona State on Dec. 19, 2021). Patrick Tape recorded a new season-high with 12 points on 3-of-5 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. He also tied his season-high with four steals while tallying seven rebounds. USF led BYU in points off turnovers (15-8) and fast break points (12-5).
The Dons had wins over Davidson, Nevada, UNLV, Fresno State and Arizona State before the BYU game and a pair of postponed contests against Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga that led to a neutral-site game in Salt Lake City against fellow NCAA contender Loyola Chicago — what became a 5-point loss that damaged neither team’s tournament hopes.
Bouyea, a graduate student in his fifth year playing for the Dons, was named to the Mid-Season Watch List for the 2021-22 Lou Henson National Player of the Year award. Bouyea first in the West Coast Conference in total points (332), made field goals (121) and total minutes (631) while also sitting third in points per game (17.9), total steals (29), made three-pointers (43) and minutes per game (35.1).
Gonzaga and San Francisco were initially scheduled to play at Gonzaga on Jan. 6, but COVID issues within the Zags program put that game on hold. San Francisco’s original road game against Portland on Thursday has been pushed back to Saturday, Feb. 5.
“In an attempt to try to get all those Quad 1 opportunities in for the league, Portland was a good partner and allowed us to get that game in,” Dons coach Todd Golden said. “So, we’ll be going up to Spokane.”
The Dons are among four WCC teams projected in the NCAA Tournament field by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. USF was a 10 seed in Lunardi’s most recent bracket.
Why Bet on Gonzaga?
Preseason No. 1 Gonzaga (14-2) climbed back to the top of the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released Monday, ending Baylor’s five-week run. The Bulldogs had 25 first-place votes, 11 fewer than No. 2 Auburn, but edged the Tigers in overall points to take the top spot.
The Zags played Saturday at Santa Clara and rolled to a 115-83 win. Drew Timme scored 32 points and Andrew Nembhard had 19. The Bulldogs eclipsed the century mark for the third consecutive game and shot 58.7% from the field (44 for 75) against the Broncos.
Timme, a consensus preseason All-American, was 14-for-18 shooting, added eight rebounds, and had his way inside. The 6-foot-10 junior came out of the game with 8:48 remaining. Seven-foot freshman Chet Holmgren, expected to be a top pick in this year’s NBA draft, had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Gonzaga is first in the nation in scoring offense (90.9), scoring margin (24.5), field goal percentage (53.9), and in defensive rebounds (31.75), second in assists per game (19.3), third in rebounds per game (42.4) sixth in rebound margin (10.3), and eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.57).
Timme is fifth in the nation shooting 65.5 percent from the field. Holmgren is seventh in the country with 54 blocks and averaging 3.4 blocks per game, and eighth shooting 73.2 percent from inside-the-arc.
The Zags have won 24 straight conference games, which is the longest active streak of its kind in the nation. Gonzaga’s last league loss was a 91-78 setback at BYU on Feb. 22, 2020. GU rides a national-best, and program-best, 61-game home win streak inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
GU has won 21 straight versus the Dons. USF’s last win in the series came on Feb 18, 2012, 66-65, at USF. The Bulldogs have won 32 in-a-row in Spokane in the series, including all 17 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Expert Prediction
- Gonzaga 82, San Francisco 74
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