Gonzaga vs San Francisco Basketball Prediction & Picks: Will the Dons Dent Gonzaga’s March Madness Hopes?

For two and a half decades, Gonzaga has been a constant March Madness presence. But will that run continue this March? A win tonight over San Francisco (11:00 pm ET, ESPN2) would be significant for the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga (22-6, 12-2 WCC) appears to be on the right side of the March Madness bubble for now, but if they lose to the Dons tonight at the Chase Center and at Saint Mary’s on Saturday (10:00 pm ET, ESPN), they might need to claim the automatic bid to reach the NCAA Tournament for the 25^th consecutive time.

The Bulldogs enter today with a NET of 21, but a lack of notable wins has Mark Few’s squad in a precarious position with minimal margin for error.

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The Dons (22-7, 11-3 WCC) aren’t exactly out of the at-large conversation, but they aren’t exactly in the thick of it, either. If you look at March Madness bracket projections at the likes of ESPN, CBS, FOX, or NCAA.com, the Dons cannot be found in the “First Four Out” or “Next Four Out” in any of them.

However, a win over Gonzaga, a win at Santa Clara to close out the regular season, and a run to the championship game of the WCC tournament could turn some heads towards the Dons, who are looking to reach the Big Dance for the second time in three seasons.

Can the Dons create chaos tonight at the Chase Center? Or will the Bulldogs edge closer to a position of security? Before I give my Gonzaga vs San Francisco picks, let’s look at the odds for tonight’s matchup.

Gonzaga vs San Francisco Basketball Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, a longtime fixture among the top online sports betting sites. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then scoop up a scrumptious sign-up bonus to bet on tonight’s action at the Chase Center.

Spread

• Gonzaga -3.5 (-106)
• San Francisco +3.5 (-114)

Over/Under

• Over 153 (-105)
• Under 153 (-115)

Moneyline

• Gonzaga -160
• San Francisco +140

Looking for more men’s college hoops picks for tonight’s schedule? Our NCAA basketball picks page features moneyline, spread, and total (over/under) picks for all of tonight’s top games, including this matchup and Nebraska vs Ohio State.

Gonzaga vs San Francisco Basketball Prediction and Picks

Gonzaga vs San Francisco Betting Analysis and Prediction

When these two teams met in Spokane on January 25, Gonzaga trailed by one at halftime, used a 19-4 run to take a 13-point lead with three minutes left, then had to hold off a spirited rally to secure a 77-72 win.

While San Francisco couldn’t pull out the win, there’s a lot for the Dons to take encouragement from for tonight’s rematch.

Despite shooting only 39.1% from the field and committing 15 turnovers, the almost eight-minute stretch in which Gonzaga turned a 48-46 deficit into a 65-52 lead is ultimately what stood between USF and one of their biggest recent wins.

So, the Dons should have a chance tonight, even though the Bulldogs have been playing well since losing to Saint Mary’s at home on February 6.

In their ongoing six-game win streak, Gonzaga is averaging 91.3 PPG and shooting 55.6% from the field and 40.8% from three.

They are certainly hitting their stride at the right time of the season, but will they register a 29^th straight win in this matchup? San Francisco has not beaten Gonzaga since a 66-65 win on February 18, 2012, and only four of those losses have been by five or fewer points.

As much as I would like to see USF win to breathe some serious life into the possibility of the WCC getting three NCAA Tournament bids, I expect Gonzaga to deliver tonight and take a big step towards locking up their spot in the field of 68.

Gonzaga vs San Francisco Betting Picks

Gonzaga -3.5 & Gonzaga/San Francisco first half over 72.5

The last time the Bulldogs failed to cover the spread in four consecutive WCC games was January 2021.

In that stretch, they failed to cover big spreads in wins against BYU (pushed as a 17-point favorite), at Portland (28-point win as a 32.5-point favorite), versus Pepperdine (25-point win as a 27-point favorite), and at Saint Mary’s (14-point win as a 16-point favorite).

As for the first half over, while there was a fairly low-scoring first half in the first meeting (31-30 San Francisco), I just think we will see a little more offense in the first half tonight. The Bulldogs rank second in Division I in field-goal percentage (51.6%), while the Dons aren’t far behind, ranking second in the WCC and fifth in Division I with a clip of 49.7%.

Other NCAA Basketball Betting Information

Where Can You Bet on NCAA Basketball?

Throughout the college basketball season, you can find a variety of NCAA basketball odds at the top online sports betting sites like BetDSI, BetOnline, BetUS, Bovada, and MyBookie.

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• BetDSI Sportsbook Review
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Other NCAA Basketball Betting Content

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• College Basketball Betting Guide: How to Bet on NCAA Basketball in 2024

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