The Gonzaga Bulldogs have a chance to take over the No. 1 spot in the country and tonight, the BYU Cougars are standing in their way. The game is scheduled for an 11:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Currently the College Basketball Odds for the game have Gonzaga as a road favorite of 5 points.
Nobody in the Top 5 seems to be able to win on the road consistently this season and now Gonzaga has a chance to stake their claim as the top ranked team in the country tonight. Mark Few's team is certainly in uncharted waters right now and a win over the BYU Cougars will pretty much give them the No. 1 spot. Gonzaga still has to play at home against Portland on Saturday, but they are expected to be a heavy favorite in that game.
The Zags' only two losses on the season were against Butler and Illinois, both of whom were better teams than the Bulldogs at the time. Now Gonzaga has ripped off 10 straight wins and has looked very impressive in those games. Gonzaga has allowed an average of 54.5 points on 35.2 percent shooting during its current winning streak And to give the Bulldogs even more added incentive, they aren't just playing for the top overall ranking in the country but a West Coast Conference regular season title as well. In this game last year, BYU was able to beat Gonzaga in Provo.
Kelly Olynyk leads with nearly 18 points and seven rebounds per game, paired up with Elias Harris and his 14.5 points ad better than seven rebounds per game as well. Many consider Gonzaga to have one of the best front courts in the country. And they have a lot of depth as well, with 10 guys averaging at least 10 minutes per game this season.
BYU, like Gonzaga, can score points. The Cougars roll up 77 points per game on average and are led in scoring individually by Tyler Haws' 21 points per game. Brandon Davies is a beast on the inside as well, averaging 18 points and nearly eight rebounds per game. Matt Carlino totals 11 points per game as well, giving the Cougars three guys that score in double digits per game.
Look for the pace in this game to be up and down with a lot of possessions. Both teams like to push the ball up the floor and Gonzaga will be looking to pick up a road win to secure a conference title. The Bulldogs have rolled up a 9-1 road record this season while BYU has won 15 of their 17 games at home this season with their only losses to Saint Mary's and San Fransisco. In the last game, Gonzaga beat BYU by 20. Too much on the line for them tonight.
Free Pick: Gonzaga 77, BYU 70
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