The Northern Illinois Huskies (3-6) visit No. 18 Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-3) in Spokane Monday night. The opening tip at the McCarthey Athletic Center will be at 9 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Northern Illinois vs. Gonzaga odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the Dec. 5 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Northern Illinois last played 10 days ago when the Huskies were favored by 2 points at Idaho, but were decimated 84-47 as they shot just 33.3% from the field. NIU has shot under 41% in 5 of its 6 losses.
The Bulldogs have played twice since NIU’s last game and since their last loss — to Baylor 64-63 on Dec. 2. Gonzaga’s 2 recent games were wins — vs. Kent State Dec. 5 and Washington Friday — but non-covers (loss, push) of spreads in the mid-teens. GU’s shooting percentage and pace are down a couple of clicks from last season when the Bulldogs’ scoring average of 87.2 points per game led NCAA-I.
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Northern Illinois at Gonzaga odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1::01 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Northern Illinois +1500 (bet $100 to win $1500) | Gonzaga -10000 (bet $10,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Northern Illinois +32.5 (-110) | Gonzaga -32.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 152.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Northern Illinois at Gonzaga picks and predictions
Prediction
Gonzaga 94, Northern Illinois 61
Moneyline
PASS on this offering; the true odds are very likely buried in the middle.
Against the spread
Gonzaga has not covered a spread since Nov. 20. The Bulldogs should have a solid chance of dominating every facet of a track meet in this game. NIU inadequacies on defense, in rebounding, and in turnover frequency get thrown into the mix with some likely rust here after the significant layoff.
The BULLDOGS -32.5 (-110) is a lean. More so is an alternate 1st-half line of GONZAGA -18.5 (-110). In earlier games against North Florida (Nov. 7) and Portland State (Nov. 24) — both teams rated higher by KenPom than NIU — Gonzaga opened up halftime leads of 30 and 24 points, respectively.
Over/Under
Both teams play an up-tempo pace, and Gonzaga could well race-and-triple this total into the mid-150s, even in a rout. But the total has climbed a bit since a more profitable open of around 150. PASS.
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