The No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-0) and third-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (6-0) hook up Saturday on a neutral floor at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Tip-off is scheduled for noon ET. Below, we analyze the Gonzaga-Iowa college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Rankings courtesy of USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
Gonzaga vs. Iowa: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:29 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Gonzaga -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Iowa +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Against the spread/ATS: Gonzaga -4.5 (-105) | Iowa +4.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: 170.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
Gonzaga vs. Iowa: Three things to know
- Gonzaga returns to the live action for the first time in 17 days. Due to COVID-19 issues, the Bulldogs pulled out of a highly anticipated 1-2 matchup with second-ranked Baylor Dec. 5, and canceled four more games after pausing the program. The Zags last played Dec. 2 when they beat then-No. 11 West Virginia 87-82 in Indianapolis. They also have a win against then-No. 6 Kansas 102-90 in the Fort Myers Classic Nov. 26. Sophomore F Drew Timme (23.3 PPG) and Senior F Corey Kispert (22.3 PPG) lead the Zags in scoring through their first 3 games.
- Iowa is coming off a 106-53 rout of Northern Illinois last Sunday as a 29.5-point favorite. C Luka Garza, the AP preseason All-American team’s lone unanimous selection, scores the second-most points per game in the country (29.2), and Iowa is No. 1 in scoring at 100.5 PPG. Granted five of the Hawkeyes’ wins came against cupcakes, Iowa did beat then-No. 16 North Carolina 93-80 Dec. 8. The Hawkeyes are one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the nation, hitting at a 39.8% clip. While Garza is shooting 68.4% (13-for-19) behind the arc, junior G Joe Weiskamp (15.2 PPG) has hit half his 3-point attempts, sinking 12 of 24.
- Iowa leads the all-time series vs. Gonzaga 2-1, but the Zags took the most recent meeting with an 87-68 victory in the Round of 32 of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes’ wins came in 1984 and ’85.
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Gonzaga vs. Iowa: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Iowa 87, Gonzaga 77
Money line (ML)
IOWA (+155) is worth a HALF-UNIT PLAY. Gonzaga not only will be at a disadvantage by being on hold for 17 days, it will have a tough time stopping Garza and the Hawkeyes’ 3-point offense.
Against the spread (ATS)
IOWA +4.5 (-115) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager – for the reasons mentioned above in the money line section. However, to be safe, I like the insurance of 4.5 points.
As of this publishing, BetMGM hasn’t posted the first-half odds yet, but it’s worth considering backing the Iowa first-half line as Gonzaga should be rusty out of the gate. The Zags held their first full practice Thursday for the first time since Dec. 4.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 170.5 (-120) is the way to go. While Iowa leads the country with 100.5 PPG, and Gonzaga ranks 8th at 93.0 PPG, the Zags’ rust will come into play early on. Look for the Hawkeyes, who own a 6-0 O/U record, to play their first Under of the season. The number is just too high.
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| Johnny’s 2020 CBK record / Strongest plays | 8-7 / 2-5 |
| 2019-20 CBK record / Strongest plays | 5-3 / 5-0 |
| 2020 overall record (all sports) | 167-131-3 |
| Strongest plays (all sports) | 81-53-1 |
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