BYU vs. Gonzaga Prediction and Odds: Bulldogs are Riding a 60-Game Win Streak at Home

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are on a 60 game winning streak at home and host the BYU Cougars Thursday night.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are on a 60 game winning streak at home and host the BYU Cougars Thursday night. / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The BYU Cougars have their hands full on the road tonight with the No. 2 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs playing host. The Cougars are on a four-game winning streak and currently lead the West Coast Conference with a 2-0 record. However, they will have to face off against a Gonzaga team that has utterly dominated the WCC for the better part of the last two decades. This includes a 60-game winning streak at home. So, an outright upset would be a historical event but an ATS win could be in the cards. 

Here are the odds for this WCC matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

BYU vs. Gonzaga Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

  • BYU +14.5 (-110)
  • Gonzaga -14.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • BYU +775
  • Gonzaga -1225

Total: 151.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

BYU vs. Gonzaga Prediction and Pick

Gonzaga brings the No. 2 offense in the country to the table in terms of scoring at 87.9 points per game and a scoring margin of +23.9. The Bulldogs also rank in the top 5 in assists per game, rebounds per game, and effective FG percentage. The offense is led by Player of the Year Award candidate Drew Timme along with Chet Holmgren providing a lot of support as a freshman. Both can not only score inside but also are strong defenders. Their whole team is built around scoring easy baskets and they have been doing so very effectively.

This is going to be a big problem for BYU in this game due to their lackluster offense. While the Cougars play very good defense, their offense has trouble scoring consistently. They rank 138th in points per game and their effective field goal percentage is below 50. 

While it is possible that BYU can slow Gonzaga down on offense, the Bulldogs will find ways to score often. They are just too good, too deep, and too motivated to continue to keep their 60-game home win streak alive. To have a chance, BYU has to try and keep up on offense. But, I don’t think they are capable. Gonzaga has covered three of their last four games as double-digit favorites and recently smoked Pepperdine by 34 points. The Bulldogs are just too good at home and have been covering big spreads enough to give me confidence in them here.

Pick: Gonzaga -14.5 (-110)