Gonzaga vs Washington Opens at Bulldogs -2.5; Picks & Odds
- No. 9 Gonzaga bounced back from its only loss with a 39-point win Wednesday
- No. 22 Washington hasn’t lost since Nov. 16
- These teams played a tight matchup last season, with Gonzaga winning 81-79
The in-state, out-of-conference matchup between No. 9 Gonzaga and No. 22 Washington is back for a fourth consecutive year, as the two ranked teams will tip off Sunday in Seattle.
Both teams have a single blemish on their records so far, with Gonzaga losing to No. 4 Michigan and Washington losing to No. 21 Tennessee. Other than that, they’ve taken care of business, and now they’ll butt heads to see who, at this early stage of the season, is the best college team in the state.
No. 9 Gonzaga vs. No. 22 Washington Odds
| Team | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | -2.5 (-110) | Over 144.5 (-110) |
| Washington Huskies | +2.5 (-110) | Under 144.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Dec. 7.
Recent Meetings
It makes sense for teams that are geographically close to play one another, right? Gonzaga and Washington, located four hours from each other, seem to feel the same way.
They’ve played each other once a year since 2016, with Gonzaga winning all three of the matchups. The Bulldogs were double-digit favorites each time, but they were unable to cover last season against a hungry Huskies team that finished well inside the 15.5-point spread.
Washington Falls to No. 1 Gonzaga 81-79
Recap: https://t.co/YDGU4KJrUV#TougherTogether pic.twitter.com/Lp70Vh5403
— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) December 6, 2018
Gonzaga has more returnees than last year’s senior-laden Washington team, and has the eighth shortest 2020 NCAA Tournament odds.
Track Meet Tendency
According to KenPom.com, this game could feature lots of action and lots of movement. KenPom has measured both teams inside the top-30 for average possession length (15.3 seconds/possession for Gonzaga, which ranks 25th; 15.1 seconds for Washington, which ranks 21st).
Breaking the century mark again! ?+1 #UnitedWeZag pic.twitter.com/iiqOskCbec
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 5, 2019
Fast-paced teams don’t always equate to high scoring games, but there is a positive correlation. The quicker teams shoot, the more possessions, and therefore, scoring opportunities, there are to go around. Keep that in mind when considering the game’s total.
Gonzaga’s Big Bounce Back
Coming off a huge overtime win over a strong Oregon team on Nov. 28, Gonzaga looked nearly unstoppable. The Bulldogs had blown out six of their eight opponents by 25-plus points, then they ran into a buzzsaw.
????????? ?
The Wolverines win the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis behind double-doubles from @JonTeske and @Xaviersimpson3!#GoBlue 〽️? pic.twitter.com/H2EztuCOy7
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) November 29, 2019
Losing by 18 to Michigan (as a 4.5-point favorite) was a wake-up call for Gonzaga. The season is hardly a month old, after all, and there are kinks to be worked out.
Fortunately, the Bulldogs had a get-right game following their loss to the Wolverines, going against an overmatched Texas Southern team. Gonzaga did what it needed to do, securing a 101-62 win on home court.
In-state battle up next. #UnitedWeZag pic.twitter.com/tYpIM1xglE
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 5, 2019
Sure, beating a Texas Southern team that is now 2-6 doesn’t seem very impressive. But the way the Bulldogs did it should be worth something to potential bettors: balanced scoring (seven players in double figures), a wire-to-wire victory and a plus-seven turnover ratio.
Washington is no doubt a more formidable opponent than Texas Southern, but getting a little confidence boost in ahead of Sunday’s game is a good thing for Gonzaga.
Decision Time
With more returnees than Washington from last year’s matchup and a renewed sense of confidence after its latest blowout win, Gonzaga is my pick in this game. The Huskies are for real, which is why the spread is narrower than its been for any of their recent meetings. It should be a fun one.
Speaking of fun, go ahead and give the over a try in this game. The pace will be fast and points are bound to follow.
Pick: Gonzaga -2.5, Over 144.5
Jordan Horrobin is a sports journalist whose MLB, NHL, NFL and NCAA work has appeared in outlets such as The Athletic, MLB.com, the Detroit Free Press and more. He is currently based in Toronto, also working as a contributor for Forbes.com and a freelance editor for Sportsnet.
