Gonzaga vs BYU Odds, Picks and Predictions: Zags Still Have Cougars' Number

The No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs head to Provo to take on the BYU Cougars in West Coast Conference action on Thursday night.

Despite entering on a nine-game winning streak, the Zags have been one of the worst ATS teams in that country and could be tested by a BYU squad that has won eight of its last nine games.

College basketball odds hit the board with the Zags as 6.5-point road favorites with the Over/Under at 151.5. Check out my best college basketball picks and predictions for Gonzaga vs. BYU below.

Gonzaga vs BYU best odds

Gonzaga vs BYU picks and predictions

Gonzaga has been terrible against the spread lately but that means that we should see more reasonable lines on them as oddsmakers adjust. This Zags team isn't as dominant as the last few seasons — or as good as most preseason rankings projected they would be — but BYU isn't quite as good as they've been in recent years either. 

Keep in mind that BYU was defeated by Loyola Marymount last week and lost to South Dakota and Utah Valley just a month ago. In fact, they lost by 15 points at home to the Wolverines and now they host a school that has enjoyed a lot of success against them recently. 

The Zags have beaten the Cougars by at least 10 points in the last five meetings and never saw a spread shorter than -11 during that span. Last season, the Zags hammered the Cougars 90-57 in Provo as 12.5-point faves with a similar lineup.

The Cougars are physical on defense but they've rarely been able to slow down Gonzaga's high-octane offense with the Zags scoring more than 80 points in the last nine games in the head-to-head.

BYU also shoots just 43.3% from the field against Division 1 foes and won't be able to keep up with the sharp-shooting Bulldogs, who are fourth in the country at 50.5% shooting.

My best bet: Gonzaga -6.5 (-110 at bet365)

Gonzaga vs BYU spread analysis

Gonzaga's road trip continues after a couple of close away wins against San Francisco and Santa Clara last week. The Bulldogs trailed the Dons for most of their contest before escaping with a 77-75 victory and mounted a 14-point comeback to edge the Broncos 81-76. 

Since losing to Baylor on December 2, the Zags have reeled off nine straight wins, headlined by a 100-90 victory against No. 4 Alabama. That said, they've often struggled to knock down the big spreads placed in front of them and have gone just 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 games with lines.

The Zags are fourth in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, but have been shaky on the other side of the floor and rank 73rd on defense.

Two-time second-team All-American Drew Timme anchors their offense with 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Guards Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton chip in with 13.9 ppg and 11.3 ppg while combining to shoot 42.5% from deep. 

The Cougars are coming off a 68-48 win on the road against San Diego, which allowed them to bounce back from a 64-59 road loss to Loyola Marymount last Wednesday. That defeat to the Lions was their only loss in their last nine games — a span that includes impressive victories over Creighton and Utah. 

BYU is 24th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency but just 177th on offense. Not only do the Cougars struggle to consistently knock down shots but they rank just 342nd in turnover rate. One area where they do stand out is on the glass, where they are seventh in the country in rebounding rate (55.6%). 

The Cougars have four players averaging double digits in points with forward Fousseyni Traore leading the school with 12.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Gonzaga vs BYU Over/Under analysis

It's tough to handicap the total for this game because these teams are complete opposites when it comes to their production on offense and defense.

The Zags average 83.8 ppg against Div 1 opponents but due to their speedy pace and inconsistent D, surrender 74.9 ppg.

BYU limits foes to 66.7 ppg but also averages only 71.7 ppg — with that number dropping to just 66 ppg in its last five games.

That said, while the Cougars have struggled offensively, they do play at an above-average tempo. They average 16.2 seconds per length of offensive possession, which ranks 49th in the country and isn't much slower than the Bulldogs who average 15.8 seconds.

Gonzaga vs BYU betting trend to know

The Under is 5-2 in Gonzaga's last seven road games while also going 5-2 in BYU's previous seven contests at home. Find more College basketball betting trends for Gonzaga vs. Gonzaga State.

Gonzaga vs BYU game info

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