Gonzaga vs. BYU Basketball Picks

Basketball Betting Game Trends

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have risen all the way to number two in the rankings. Gonzaga has been good every year, but Mark Few’s team has never been this high in the rankings before. Number one Indiana just lost earlier this week, and the Bulldogs could have a shot at getting to the number one spot if they win out in the regular season. Their biggest hurdle will be Tuesday night at BYU. The Marriott Center is one of the toughest places in the country to play. Can the Cougars pull off the upset?

Game Overview:

Gonzaga was expected to be very good this year, but not many people saw the team dominated the West Coast Conference the way they have. One of the biggest reasons for their domination of the conference has been the emergence of center Kelly Olynyk. Olynyk was thought of as a nice piece in the preseason, but you certainly never heard much about him. Now, he is a likely first-team All-American. Olynyk is averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds per game. He is one of the most dominant big men in the game.

Elias Harris and Kevin Pangos are stars for the Bulldogs as well. Harris is a guy the NBA scouts really like because of his versatility. He can play in the post or step out and shoot from outside. Pangos shoots 45 percent from three-point range, and he is a great decision maker with the basketball. Defensively, the Zags are much better than they were a year ago. They are one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the nation. Opponents are averaging just 60.2 points per game against this defense.

BYU completed an amazing comeback in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year to beat Iona in a very memorable game. The Cougars will have to do something special just to get back to the tournament this year. BYU has a lot of talent, but the team hasn’t put it all together yet this year. Tyler Haws leads the team in scoring at 20.9 points per game. Haws is a 6’5 guard who can get his shot almost anytime he wants it. The Cougars also have a lot of strength in the frontcourt with Brandon Davies anchoring the front line. Davies single-handedly kept the team in the game against St. Mary’s, and he should have a great matchup with Olynyk in this one.

Offensively, BYU is averaging 77.3 points per game, so that really isn’t a problem. The problem for the Cougars has been their defense. BYU has given up 74 points or more in five of their last nine games. Gonzaga put up 83 points against BYU last time out. If BYU is going to pull off the upset in this one, their defense will have to clamp down and make life difficult on guys like Olynyk and Harris.

Free Pick: Gonzaga -6

This might not be the best spot for the Bulldogs, but they are clearly the better team. Mark Few’s team is on a mission right now, and I don’t see a letdown in this one.

Gonzaga 81 BYU 70

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