Gonzaga vs. BYU Odds, Picks, Predictions College Basketball: High-scoring Affair Expected in Provo
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have rattled off nine consecutive wins. They now head on the road to take on the BYU Cougars, one of their biggest competitors in the West Coast Conference. Here is our best Gonzaga-BYU pick.
The Bulldogs have righted the ship with nine straight wins after starting the season 5-3. That hot stretch includes a 100-90 neutral-court victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide. They're 3-0 in the WCC, but the team has struggled on the road against two average schools, the San Francisco Dons and the Santa Clara Broncos. They won those contests by a combined seven points.
Meanwhile, the Cougars are 3-1 in WCC play, with their sole loss coming on the road against the Loyola Marymount Lions. This will be just their second home conference game of the season. They defeated the Portland Pilots 71-58 in the previous matchup.
Here is our best Gonzaga-BYU college basketball pick (odds via PointsBet; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our college basketball best bets. Be sure to see our break down of the best March Madness odds and Wooden Award odds.
Gonzaga vs. BYU Game Info
Date: Thursday, Jan. 12, 9:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Location: Marriott Center, Provo, UT
Gonzaga vs. BYU Odds
Gonzaga vs. BYU Odds Analysis
The Bulldogs opened as 6.5-point favorites at every major sportsbook except FanDuel and Caesars, where they were at -5.5 and -6, respectively. While there's been some movement since the opening line came out, the current general consensus is 6.5. Currently, 68% of bettors are backing Gonzaga to cover.
The total opened between 149.5 and 151, and the market is learning hard toward this game being high-scoring. The number can now be found as high as 153.5, and the lowest available line is 152.5. Right now 68% of bettors are backing the Over, which means this total is probably going to keep rising.
Gonzaga vs. BYU Pick
Over 152.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The BYU Cougars were Gonzaga’s kryptonite not long ago. There was a four-season stretch from 2013 to 2017 when the Cougars beat the Zags every year. But the Bulldogs have been dominating this series lately, winning five consecutive games and 10 of their last 11 meeting by 10-plus points.
The 2022-23 Bulldogs slumped early in the season, but all of their losses came to quality teams. The same cannot be said of the Cougars. However, this game is being played in Provo and is the most significant home clash of the season for BYU. It's therefore hard to confidently pick the Bulldogs to cover 6.5 points, especially when their two previous conference road wins were so close.
The total is therefore the right play, and the Over is going to hit. The Bulldogs are averaging 85.9 points per game, and they've scored 77-plus points in all three of their conference matchups. The squad has notched 100-plus points five times and scored under 70 just twice all season. The Zags are fourth in the nation in field-goal percentage. And while the Cougars are 49th in field-goal percentage allowed, that's mainly tied to their competition, and not the team's defense.
The Cougars are allowing 66.7 points per game, but they've given up more than 70 points to offensive-minded teams like the Creighton Bluejays and USC Trojans. BYU’s Fousseyni Traore and Gideon George may be able to slow down Drew Timme initially. But the forward who's tallied 20-plus points in seven of his last nine games will find a way to score.
Gonzaga vs. BYU Best Odds
PointsBet (-110)
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
| Over 125.5 | Over 153.5 | Over 153.5 | Over 153 | Over 152.5 |
| -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
PointsBet and DraftKings are lagging behind the other major sportsbooks and still offering this number at 152.5. FanDuel and BetMGM are a full point higher, and those books could end up as high as 155 with this line likely to continue rising. It’s hard to say if DraftKings and PointsBet will go that high, but getting in on this Over ASAP is critical.
While the spread is tricky in this one, I expect Gonzaga to squeak out a cover. PointsBet is therefore the best place to bet the Over, as you can parlay it with Gonzaga -6.5. The Zags are -7 at DraftKings.
Gonzaga-BYU pick made 1/12/2023 at 10 a.m. ET.
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