BYU has a solid program and is certainly no pushover, especially because it gets to play this game at home. However, Gonzaga has been flawless thus far on the season and will certainly be the favorites in this showdown.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, February 2, 2017, at 11 p.m. ET at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Gonzaga is 22-0 straight up and 16-5 against the spread. The Bulldogs have played in five true road games on the season and have covered in four of them. Gonzaga has been the favorite in every game on the season and will be again here.
BYU is 16-7 straight up and 9-11 against the spread. The Cougars have played in 10 home games and performed well, covering in six of them. BYU has been the underdog only three times this year but has failed to cover in any of those attempts.
Key Stat
23.8. That’s the positive point-differential for Gonzaga, an incredible number as blowouts have been the norm this season. The Bulldogs are averaging a prolific 85.2 points per game while only allowing 61.4.
The combination of a great offense and great defense has kept them undefeated. The caveat is that some of the competition has been less than stellar since they play in the WCC.
However, Gonzaga knocked off Florida, Arizona and Iowa State, among others, in the non-conference season, proving it has the talent to hang in against some of the better teams in the country. The Bulldogs have nice balance, as seven different players average more than 8.0 points per game on the season.
The team’s leading scorer is Nigel Williams-Goss, who averages 14.8 points while adding 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists.
Player to Watch
Eric Mika -- If BYU is to pull off this upset, it will likely need a big game from its best player. The sophomore forward was good a season ago but has really turned it on this season.
He is averaging 20.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. Mika is shooting 54.8 percent from the field. He had 27 points, nine rebounds and four blocks last time out in a win over Loyola Marymount.
If Mika can have a similarly dominant game in this one, it will certainly increase BYU’s odds at pulling out a victory.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Gonzaga is only one game ahead of Saint Mary’s in the conference race, but seems exceedingly likely to capture the West Coast title. The bigger fish is a national championship. The Bulldogs have been one of the better programs in the nation in the past several years despite their mid-major status, and this group has proven to be one of the best of the bunch.
There aren’t a ton of tough games in the conference, but going on the road against BYU is one of them. The Cougars aren’t as good as they have been in the past, but are not an easy team to beat, especially in front of the home crowd.
Gonzaga will have to earn this one, but in the end its superior depth should be the difference in the victory as it remains undefeated deep into the season.
College Basketball Odds: Gonzaga 76, BYU 68
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