#12 Gonzaga Bulldogs at #18 St. Mary’s Gaels – TV, Odds, and More
PNWS presents what you need to know for Saturday’s Top 25 matchup between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and St. Mary’s Gaels.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs 2022-23 WCC season rolls on with another quality opponent. Saturday’s game against 18th-ranked St. Mary’s is for first place in the conference.
Who: #12 Gonzaga Bulldogs (19-4 overall, 8-1 in WCC) vs. #18 St. Mary’s Gaels (20-4, 9–0).
Where: McKeon Pavilion – Moraga, CA.
When: Saturday, February 4, 2023 – 7:30 PM PST.
TV: ESPN2. Announcers: Dave Flemming and Sean Farnham
Line: Gonzaga +3. Over/Under: 143 (Odds Shark).
Injuries: Gonzaga – Out: Kaden Perry (back). St. Mary’s – None.
Interesting Trends:
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have won 14 of 15. The total has gone under in 6 of 8. Against St. Mary’s, the Zags have won 8 of 9, including 5 of 6 at McKeon Pavillion. They are 12-5-1 ATS vs. the Gaels.
Since losing to then top-ranked Houston on December 3, St. Mary’s is 14-1, including 10 straight victories. But in those 10 games, they are 6-3-1 ATS.
Outlook
It will be a game of contrasting styles on Saturday night.
St. Mary’s has an outstanding defensive team. They allow a very stingy 57.2 points per game, which is 4th best in the country. Only 4 times has an opponent scored over 65 points against the Gaels this season.
Two major components fuel their defense. First is forcing bad shots. Opponents only shoot 43.7% on 2-pointers (10th) and 30.8% from behind the arc (5th) against them.
The second is rebounding. St. Mary’s outrebounds opponents by an average of 8.3 boards per game. Bulldogs center Drew Timme will need some help from his supporting cast, especially Anton Watson, to clean the glass.
Gonzaga, on the other hand, comes into the game leading the nation in scoring at 86.4 points per game. They’ve also made the most baskets per game and shoot a 6th-best 58.6% on 2-point shots, and are 16th at converting from 3-point range at 38.6%.
One thing that may help the Zags is Timme’s passing. No doubt, St. Mary’s is a tough team inside. If he can pass out of double teams to an open shooter like Julian Strather or Rasir Bolton, the defense will have to lay off him a bit. At that point, he’ll make it a long night for the Gaels.
Another big key for Gonzaga is to play in control. St. Mary’s won’t allow as many fast break opportunities as the Zags usually get. GU can’t afford to squander them with sloppiness in transition.
When was the last time the Gonzaga Bulldogs were a 3-point underdog in a WCC game? Gonzaga should use it for motivation. Enjoy the game.
Don’t forget to check the updated schedule for recent television changes. Enjoy the game.