The Chris Beard era at Texas couldn’t have started off with a bigger bang. Beard and the Texas Longhorns crushed Houston Baptist, 93-48 to go 1-0 on the season.
However, things are about to get a bit more difficult as Texas heads on over to McCarthey Athletic Center to take on the No. 1-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday night.
Tonight’s game is about to be a dog fight between two Top-5 teams.
Check out our picks and predictions between Texas and Gonzaga for Saturday, November 13.
Texas vs Gonzaga odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Gonzaga opened as a 7.5-point favorite and has not moved since. The total, however, has adjusted a little bit at select outlets. The game opened at a total of 151 and can now be found at 150.5 in some spots.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
Texas vs Gonzaga predictions
Predictions made on 11/13/2021 at 8:55 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Texas vs Gonzaga game info
• Location: McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, WA
• Date: Saturday, November 13, 2021
• Tip-off: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN2
Texas at Gonzaga betting preview
Injuries
Texas: Dylan Disu F (Knee)
Gonzaga: Dominick Harris G (Questionable)
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Longhorns are 0-4 ATS in their last four games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game. Find more NCAA betting trends for Texas vs. Gonzaga.
Texas vs Gonzaga picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
The Texas Longhorns went hard in the transfer portal and it’s about to pay off big time this season. With additions like Marcus Carr from Minnesota and Tre Mitchell from UMass, Texas is absolutely loaded with premier talent.
This isn’t just potential talent I’m talking about either. Most of what Texas is bringing to the table are players that have already dominated college basketball with previous teams.
Texas is so good that Tre Mitchell, who was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team, is coming off the bench for the Longhorns.
The Longhorns have also rostered Christian Bishop from Creighton, Timmy Allen from Utah, and Devin Askew and Avery Benson, who migrated along with Beard from Texas Tech to Texas. Let’s also not forget injured forward Dylan Disu, who scored 15 points per game for Vanderbilt last year.
What I’m getting at is that Texas is extremely talented. The Longhorns could have five guys in double figures per game with 10 players scoring at least a couple buckets. This is a deep team.
On the other hand, Gonzaga is the best team in the nation, without question. While losing Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert hurt, the Bulldogs added Hunter Sallis and Chet Holmgren, who are two outstanding freshmen that should put in work this year alongside Andrew Nembhard and Drew Timme.
On top of that, Gonzaga brought in was Rasir Bolton from Iowa State, who averaged 15.5 points per game last year. Meanwhile, it looks like Julian Strawther could be one of the more improved players on this roster after he scored 17 and brought down 10 rebounds in 25 minutes while starting in the first game of the season.
It’s early in the season, where we just don’t have enough stats on either team, especially Gonzaga, who have so many new faces and names playing right now. Still, Zaga is ranked at the very top for a reason. I like the Bulldogs to pull away late.
Prediction: Gonzaga -7.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
Both teams are capable of scoring plenty of points, however, it’s hard to trust an over with Chris Beard coaching a team. Texas Tech was always fantastic on the defensive end, and he’s brought in a bunch of transfers who he knows will dedicate just as much time on defense as they will offense.
At 151, I’ll take the Under here and hope there’s no overtime like that UCLA and Villanova game last night. Of course, both teams can score very quickly, but the pace of this game will be much slower than it was against Dixie State and Houston Baptist.
Prediction: Under 151 (-110)
Best bet
Between the spread and the total, I’m more confident in the total. Again, pace of play is going to be a bit slower, possessions will become limited, and the game will get intense on the defensive end.
If the Over hits, it’ll be because of some really great shooting performances.
After Texas defeated Houston Baptist, Beard spoke to the media and talked more about the effort on defense than the 92 points on offense. It’s going to be a main emphasis for both teams moving forward.
Take the Under.
Pick: Under 151 (-110)
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