The BYU Cougars (9-2, 0-0 WCC) face the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (10-0, 1-0) for an 8:30 p.m. ET tip at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. on Thursday. Below, we analyze the BYU-Gonzaga college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Rankings courtesy of Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
BYU at Gonzaga: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:55 a.m. ET.
- Money line: BYU +1300 (bet $100 to win $1,300) | Gonzaga -3000 (bet $3,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: BYU +17.5 (-110) | Gonzaga -17.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 162.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
BYU at Gonzaga: Three things to know
- The Cougars were expected to host Pacific, but that game was postponed Monday. The Bulldogs were scheduled to face Santa Clara, but the Broncos are on a COVID-related pause. So the two schools got together fill Thursday’s slot, and they moved into the ESPN national broadcast spot vacated by the canceled women’s game between UConn and Baylor, also due to COVID. That’s sports in 2020-21.
- BYU hasn’t played since Dec. 23, an 87-79 win over Weber State. They have won four in a row, but haven’t covered since Dec. 18 at San Diego State. The Cougars also enter this game on a 5-0 Over run.
- Gonzaga easily polished off San Francisco on Jan. 2, winning 85-62 as a 19-point favorite, its second straight cover as a favorite of 19 or more points after going 0-3 ATS in the previous three such situations. Gonzaga, who is averaging 95.1 PPG to rank first in the country, also leads the nation in field-goal percentage at 55.4.
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BYU at Gonzaga: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Gonzaga 91, BYU 76
Money line (ML)
Gonzaga (-3000) will get a good test from conference mate BYU (+1300). The Cougars might be more of a threat if not for such a long layoff dating back to before Christmas. Even so, they’re not going to trip up Gonzaga in Spokane. AVOID.
Against the spread (ATS)
BYU +17.5 (-110) could be a little rusty out of the gate, and it’s a tough assignment facing top-ranked Gonzaga -17.5 (-110) after a two-week layoff. Look for the Cougars to struggle to find their shots early on, but they’ll fire back in the second half and grab the backdoor cover.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 162.5 (-110) is the lean, as Gonzaga rarely struggles on offense and their up-tempo style forces the other team to either adapt or fall far behind early. That’s dangerous for BYU, as they have been inactive for the past couple of weeks, and they could get themselves in a hole quickly. However, they should find the defensive pressure much less in the second half, and we’ll see plenty of points in the second 30 minutes to push this one across the finish line.
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