The top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will look to extend their winning ways when they hit the road to take on the Portland Pilots on Thursday night. With Portland desperate to snap their four-game losing streak and the Zags looking to avoid the huge upset, let’s find out which team is offering the best value against their NCAAB odds in this affair.
Gonzaga vs Portland 2020 College Basketball Spread & Game Info
- When: Thursday January 2, 2020, 10:00 PM (EST)
- Where: Chiles Center, Portland, OR
- TV: ROOT Sports
- College Basketball Odds: Gonzaga -23 / Total: 147.5
Why Bet On Gonzaga?
The Bulldogs have won six straight and nine of their last 10 including an emphatic 93-72 blowout win over Detroit Mercy on Monday night. Filip Petrusev scored a team-high 22 points in the win while the Bulldogs drained a blistering 51 percent of their shots. Still, head coach Mark Few is expecting a bunch of tough efforts from their opponents after getting the No. 1 ranking.
“We were a little choppy, so we’ll have to be better than we were (Monday),” Few told reporters earlier this week. “Not only is it league play, but carrying the No. 1 ranking with you wherever you go, so you’re going to get great effort and great energy from opposing crowds and players, all kinds of crazy efforts out of players you’re going against. We’ll just have to be a lot better and really kind of embrace this challenge of playing like a No. 1 team.”
The Bulldogs rank a stupendous first in scoring (88.5 ppg) while limiting the opposition to just 68.3 points per contest defensively (175th).
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 88.53
- Field Goals: 50.26%
- Three Points: 39.51%
- Free Throws: 66.67%
- Rebounds: 41.47
- Average Score Against: 68.33
- Field Goals: 41.55%
- Three Points: 33.74%
- Free Throws: 70.44%
- Rebounds: 32.87
Why Bet On Portland?
The Pilots have lost four straight including a 61-46 loss to Ball State on Dec. 25. Tahirou Diabate posted a nice double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Pilots shot a pitiful 27 percent from downtown. Portland has gone 4-6 over their last 10 games, but the Pilots are 6-3 at home this season while averaging just 68.3 points per contest (259th) while allowing 65.6 points per game defensively (108th).
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 68.33
- Field Goals: 44.71%
- Three Points: 37.00%
- Free Throws: 65.99%
- Rebounds: 33.27
- Average Score Against: 65.53
- Field Goals: 39.76%
- Three Points: 29.11%
- Free Throws: 62.71%
- Rebounds: 37.40
College Basketball Betting Trends for Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Portland Pilots
- Gonzaga is 4-2 ATS in the last 6 games
- Gonzaga is 6-0 SU in the last 6 games
- The total went OVER in 9 of Gonzaga’s last 9 games
- Portland is 0-5 ATS in the last 5 games
- Portland is 1-4 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went OVER in 4 of Portland’s last 6 games
Gonzaga vs Portland Expert Analysis and Prediction
If you’re worried about Gonzaga covering the high, 23-point spread, I simply wouldn’t be. The Bulldogs are by far, completely superior to Portland on offense and that fact alone will be enough to lead the Zags to the emphatic win and ATS cover. Conversely, Gonzaga has gone 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS loss and 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games overall. With Portland reeling and Gonzaga streaking, the handwriting is on the wall in this one. The Bulldogs win and cover the chalk!
Pick: Gonzaga 91 Portland 63
