San Francisco vs Gonzaga Basketball Prediction & Picks (1/25): Will the Dons Get Spanked in Spokane?

The San Francisco Dons have gotten off to a 4-1 start in West Coast Conference play and have firmly put themselves in the top four of the conference, along with Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, and Santa Clara. But if USF wants to make a move towards the March Madness bubble, they need to take advantage of the opportunities they have for quality wins, like tonight at Gonzaga (9:00 pm ET, ESPN2).

The Dons (15-5, 4-1) dropped their first conference game last Saturday, falling by 17 at home to Saint Mary’s. It was a reminder of the gap between Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s and the likes of San Francisco and Santa Clara, even after the Broncos’ recent upset of the Bulldogs.

That loss to Santa Clara is part of why Gonzaga (13-5, 4-1 WCC) has some work to do to ensure a 25^th consecutive March Madness appearance. A win tonight over USF won’t move the needle much in the right direction, but a loss certainly would give it a big push in the wrong direction.

San Francisco vs Gonzaga Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our BetOnline review.

Spread

• San Francisco +9 (-110)
• Gonzaga -9 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 152 (-120)
• Under 152 (+100)

Moneyline

• San Francisco +355
• Gonzaga -435

Last Five Games for San Francisco (15-5, 4-1 WCC)

• Saint Mary’s (1/20 – home): lost 77-60
• Loyola Marymount (1/18 – home): won 90-74
• Portland (1/13 – home): won 96-69
• San Diego (1/11 – away): won 83-63
• Pacific (1/4 – away): won 92-88 (OT)

Last Five Games for Gonzaga (13-5, 4-1 WCC)

• San Diego (1/20 – away): won 105-63
• Pepperdine (1/18 – away): won 86-61
• Santa Clara (1/11 – away): lost 77-76
• San Diego (1/6 – home): won 101-74
• Pepperdine (1/4 – home): won 86-60

Players to Watch for San Francisco

• Jonathan Mogbo: 15.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 68.0% FG
• Marcus Williams: 13.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.5 SPG
• Malik Thomas: 11.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 52.1% FG
• Mike Sharavjamts: 8.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.1 APG
• Ndewedo Newbury: 8.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.3 BPG, 55.5% FG, 43.4% 3PT

Players to Watch for Gonzaga

• Anton Watson: 14.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 58.2% FG
• Graham Ike: 14.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 59.3% FG
• Nolan Hickman: 12.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.3 SPG
• Ryan Nembhard: 12.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.1 SPG
• Ben Huff: 11.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 64.4% FG

San Francisco vs Gonzaga Prediction and Picks

San Francisco vs Gonzaga Betting Analysis and Prediction

Since a 66-65 loss on February 18, 2012, Gonzaga has beaten San Francisco 27 consecutive times.

There have been close calls, but the Dons have not been able to break the streak. Last season, USF led by five at home with 2:48 left, but the Bulldogs escaped with a two-point road win thanks to Rasir Bolton’s offensive rebound and basket with less than ten seconds left.

Could tonight be another tight contest? Gonzaga has responded to the loss at Santa Clara with blowout wins over two of the WCC’s weaker teams, but they are just 2-5 SU and ATS in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games with wins and covers against Syracuse (#79 NET) and USC (#89) and SU and ATS losses losses to Purdue (#2), Washington (#81), UConn (#9), San Diego State (#20), and Santa Clara (#112).

So, it stands to reason that San Francisco could challenge Gonzaga if the chips fall the right way. That includes getting a big game from Mogbo, who had averaged 21.2 PPG and 12.6 RPG in a five-game stretch before being held to 11 points and six rebounds in Saturday’s loss to Saint Mary’s.

The Dons would also benefit from a strong bounce-back performance by Williams, who has struggled with his shot in USF’s tougher games. Against Saint Mary’s, he was 0 of 4 from three and 1 of 8 overall from the field, and he had more fouls (four) than points (two).

On paper, Gonzaga is certainly the superior team and should show that at home. I think they will indeed take care of business at home, but I also think the Dons will at least manage to keep it close enough to get the cover and put a little scare into the home crowd.

San Francisco vs Gonzaga Betting Picks

All picks listed below are courtesy of BetOnline. Bet these plays there and get a 100% BONUS on your first cryptocurrency deposit.

San Francisco +9.5 & Jonathan Mogbo over 9.5 rebounds

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