UConn vs Gonzaga Odds, Picks and Predictions: Can Bulldogs Get Revenge on Huskies?

The Gonzaga Bulldogs get another crack at the national champions.

The 10th-ranked ‘Zags should be the overwhelming crowd favorite when they take on the No. 5 Connecticut Huskies on Friday night in the Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off.

The rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament West Region final — which the Huskies won 82-54 — favors the Huskies by five points in the college basketball odds.

It’s a game between two evenly-matched sides, so which way should you be filling out your betting card? Check below for my free college basketball picks and best bet for Friday, December 15.

UConn vs Gonzaga best odds

UConn vs Gonzaga picks and predictions

The Gonzaga Bulldogs will be the third Top-10 opponent the Connecticut Huskies will have played in their last four. They dropped a 69-65 decision to the Kansas Jayhawks, ranked fifth at the time. They followed that up with an 87-76 win over the ninth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. Gearing down in competition last Saturday night, the top team in the Big East laid waste to the Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions, 101-63.

UConn is 12th in scoring in the nation, pumping in 87.4 points per game while shooting it at a 50.9% clip, the 13th-best mark in the NCAA. KenPom has them ranked as No. 4 in the country, boasting the fourth-best offensive efficiency rating and a 16th-place ranking in defensive efficiency.

The Huskies hold teams to 63.2 points per game (27th) and they dominate the glass, as they're first in the nation in rebounding and ninth in crashing the offensive glass.

The ‘Zags are no slouch, putting up 84.9 points per contest and shoot it at 49.9% from the field, which sits 23rd in the country. Ranked 12th overall at KenPom, they’re 17th in offensive efficiency and 18th in defensive efficiency. They allow 65.3 points per contest, which is a sturdy 58th in the country.

This will be just the Bulldogs’ second game against a ranked opponent this season after dropping a 73-63 decision to the Purdue Boilermakers, at the time the No. 2-ranked team in college hoops. Gonzaga has also played Arkansas-Pine Bluff recently, eviscerating them 111-71 on Dec. 5, but then they fell to unranked Washington, 78-73. They bounced back Monday, pounding Mississippi Valley State, 78-40.

I think the Pacific Northwest crowd and sting from March Madness brings out the best in the Bulldogs, but UConn is proven to compete with the top teams. The Huskies' moneyline juice isn’t that great so let’s lean on the total, where you have two of the nation’s top scoring defenses.

The Huskies have held eight of their 10 opponents to 67 points or less, while the Bulldogs have let only four opponents see the 70-point plateau.

My best bet: Under 149.5 (-110 at SIA)

UConn vs Gonzaga same-game parlay

Under 149.5

Tristen Newton Under 7.5 rebounds

Nolan Hickman Over 1.5 3s

+475 at DraftKings

We’ll add a little intrigue to this Friday night clash with a three-leg same-game parlay. Let's look at Huskies’ do-everything guard Tristen Newton. He’s averaging 17 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists, all tops on UConn. But the 6-foot-5 senior’s rebounding numbers could be a little inflated by some early season statistics piled up against some warm-up opposition. That included a three-game-in-four stretch where he had at least 10 rebounds. However, Newton has seen his numbers dip in that category while his other guard duties were needed against ranked teams.

Against 15th-ranked Texas, he had just four boards, but had a team-best eight assists. He had six rebounds against KU, but poured in a game-high 31. And against UNC, he had just five rebounds but rounded it out with 14 points and five dimes. He’ll be prominent vs. Gonzaga, but won’t see eight rebounds.

We’ll finish it with the one blemish on UConn’s stat sheet: their inability to defend the 3-point line. They are a woeful 339th in the NCAA in defending the arc, with teams hitting a crisp 37.4% on them. That’s not exactly the bread-and-butter of the Bulldogs — who shoot the moneyball at a 33.2% clip, just inside the Top-200 in college ball — but there should be opportunities.

That’s why I’m taking Nolan Hickman to splash at least two from downtown. The junior guard has had multiple triples in five of his last seven games. He’s taken the most attempts of any ‘Zags player and is hitting at a legit 36.2%.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

UConn vs Gonzaga spread and Over/Under analysis

Connecticut has been the favorite the whole way through, climbing from as low as a 3.5-point favorite to as high as 5.5. The Huskies are 6-3-0 against the spread as a betting favorite.

Gonzaga, meanwhile, is 4-5-0 ATS on the season. They have been an underdog just once all season, failing to cover in that scenario.

As for the total, you can find the lowest number at 148.5 points, but do a little site surfing and you can see there’s variety over the board, topping out at 151.5.

Both teams are hovering around .500 in Over/Under. The Over is 5-4-1 in UConn games, and 4-5-0 in Gonzaga’s contests.

UConn vs Gonzaga betting trend to know

Connecticut has won each of its last 12 games against non-conference opponents at neutral venues. Find more college basketball betting trends for UConn vs. Gonzaga.

UConn vs Gonzaga game info

UConn vs Gonzaga key injuries

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