San Diego vs Gonzaga WCC Basketball Picks and Odds
San Diego vs Gonzaga Betting Preview
The Toreros are one of a handful of improving WCC teams. What can we expect in tonight’s San Diego vs Gonzaga West Coast clash? At the time of posting, the Bulldogs have opened as a 22-point road favorite in San Diego, with the total sitting at 151 points.
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| Thursday, February 3 | WCC Basketball Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | San Diego Toreros +22 vs Gonzaga Bulldogs |
| Total: | 151 Points |
| Game Time: | 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT |
| Arena: | Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego |
| TV: | ESPN2 |
San Diego vs Gonzaga Analysis
The second-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (17-2, 6-0 WCC) are playing the role of visitor in a conference tilt in San Diego versus the Toreros (13-9, 6-3 WCC). Tipoff is scheduled for 9:00pm ET inside Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, CA. The matchup Thursday is the season’s first meeting for the two teams in conference play. Gonzaga earned wins in both of last season’s matchups.
As a road favorite, the Bulldogs are 6-0 against the spread across their previous six games. The host, the Toreros, has had equal success with a 6-0 ATS record as an underdog in their last six games. The Zags have cashed to the Over the Total at a 5-2 clip across their previous seven games as a favorite, while the Toreros have a perfect 8-0 mark playing to Under the Total in the program’s last eight home games.
The Zags take their spotless 6-0 league mark into San Diego tonight with the expectation of stretching the team’s 16-0 record in games decided by 10 points or more. As a road favorite, Gonzaga is 6-0 against the spread across their previous six games. The host, the Toreros, has had equal success with a 6-0 ATS record as an underdog in their last six games. The Zags have cashed to the Over the Total at a 5-2 clip across their previous seven games as a favorite, while the Toreros have a perfect 8-0 mark playing to Under the Total in the program’s last eight home games.
The last game between these two West Coast Conference foes found the Zags scoring over 100 points against the Toreros, a February 20, 2021 league event that went final with a Gonzaga 106-69 victory over San Diego. Coach Mark Few’s players have reached the century mark five times this season with a 104-72 home-court win over the Portland Pilots. Toreros guard Joey Calcaterra connected for 16 points and grabbed six rebounds as San Diego recorded a hard-fought 69-65 win over Loyola Marymount on Saturday.
Toreros Defend the Arc
Senior wing Marcellus Earlington leads San Diego in scoring averaging 13.5 points per game. Earlington’s backcourt partner Jase Townsend is the second leading scorer.
Earlington is shooting just north of 35 percent from beyond the arc. Behind Earlington, Townsend, and Calcaterra on the scoring chart is Terrell Brown, who averages nine points per game but has picked up his scoring as of late, averaging 6.8 points over the last ten games for San Diego.
The Toreros hang their 6-3 conference record on their ability to control the tempo and compete with hard-nosed defense. San Diego averages 69.1 points per game and surrenders 70.1 to their game night opponents.
Considered one of the more disciplined squads in the West Coast league, the Toreros are more about keeping the opposition playing defense with a debate tempo. San Diego plays at a pace that ranks No. 298 in the county, averaging almost eight possessions less per game than the Zags.
The eye test grades the San Diego offense as gritty and difficult to watch. The Toreros rank in the bottom third of Division I hoops with an Effective FG% of 47.8. However, the defense contains the opposition with a 46.4 percent eFG%.
San Diego depends on their backcourt to drive to the rim to set up elbow-jumpers from inside of the arc. As a result, the Toreros score nearly 60 percent of their points from mid-range 4-14 feet from the rim. The 60 percent frequency with mid-range shots ranks 11th in Division I, according to KenPom.
The defensive scheme for the Toreros is neither overly aggressive, nor do they gamble as a unit. They don’t turn their opponents over with any frequency, nor do they defend to protect the passing lanes and, as a result, don’t record a significant number of steals on game night.
The backcourt of San Diego doesn’t penetrate to dish to an open shooter on the perimeter, and the Toreros don’t shoot from distance, not too often at least. Furthermore, the Toreros don’t attempt to get into transition when the opportunity arises.
Zags’ Offense Trumps All
Gonzaga averages 95.0 points per game while allowing just 66.1. The Zags defeated Loyola Marymount and Portland this past week in easy fashion topping the century mark in the undersized and outgunned Pilots.
Few’s crew is arguably the most versatile roster in college basketball. They have the size to score in the paint and at the rim. They can shoot the 3-ball, and as outlined in this game, preview points are coming in waves for the Zags with five 100-point performances this season. The Dogs have recorded 90 or more points in six of their last eight matchups.
Pundits point to the Bulldogs pedestrian shooting percentage from the 3-line. Supporters of this Gonzaga troupe point out that the Bulldogs lead the nation in scoring at 90.8 points per game. The Zags have little reason to sit behind the arc and practice parting the rim from the 3-point line. The 90.8 points per game on the season is enough to defeat any of the Power 6 programs. Few’s the deep roster, and effecient offense averages 102.2 per game in conference play with a 29 point average margin of victory.
The game within this game will see how the Toreros defends Gonzaga. San Diego, which allows opponents to make just 29.5 percent of their 3-point attempts, may well play a hybrid zone or sag the perimeter defenders and dare the Zags backcourt to chuck away from the 3-line.
San Diego vs Gonzaga Forecast
The WagerTalk sports gaming portal had yet executed their site’s soft launch the last time that the San Diego Toreros defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs. That victory over the Zags came on February 22 of 2014, a 69-66 win by the Toreros in San Diego.
Gonzaga will exceed San Diego’s possession opportunities by ten or more in tonight’s game in SoCal and can sleepwalk through half of this matchup and still earn a victory. While the Zags handicap of 22-points seems overwhelming, remember that Gonzaga is averaging over 100-points per game and squares off against the league’s least efficient offense.
We recommend a look at the over in tonight’s San Diego vs Gonzaga contest.
College Basketball Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his College Basketball Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Thursday’s sheet, with notes on this San Diego vs Gonzaga contest.
Happy Hour Tip-Off Show
Get your daily fix of college hoops betting information with Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of handicapping guests. The Happy Hour Tip-Off Show will broadcast Monday through Friday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT. Pull up a barstool and join us as we break down tonight’s college basketball card from a sports betting perspective.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the college basketball point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Thursday’s NCAAB games, including this San Diego vs Gonzaga showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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