Gonzaga vs Alabama Odds, Spread and Picks (Dec. 17)
- Alabama and Gonzaga meet in the CM Newton Classic in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday, December 17.
- No. 4 Alabama is a 1.5-point favorite over Gonzaga in a game played 58 miles from the ‘Bama campus.
- Read below for Alabama vs Gonzaga odds, analysis and prediction.
No. 4 Alabama (9-1) is a 1.5-point favorite over Gonzaga in the CM Newton Classic in Birmingham, Alabama at 1pm ET Saturday on CBS.
The Tide has won four in a row after a loss to No. 3 UConn. Birmingham is 58 miles from the Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa.
No. 15 Gonzaga (8-3) has won three straight games, all at home, after a one-point loss to No. 6 Baylor on Dec. 2. The Bulldogs lost the only previous meeting against Alabama, the Tide taking a 91-82 victory Dec. 4 in Seattle.
Gonzaga vs Alabama Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | +1.5 (-104) | +106 | Over 157.5 ( -115) |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | -1.5 (-118) | -128 | Under 157.5 (-105) |
Odds from FanDuel on Dec. 16.
Alabama is a 1.5-point favorite over Gonzaga in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham, Alabama. The Crimson Tide are 6-4 ATS this season, including a 71-65 road victory over then-No. 1 Houston as an 8.5-point underdog on Dec. 10. The total has gone over in six of the Tide’s 10 games, including five of the last seven.
Gonzaga is 3-8 ATS this season and has covered only one of its last seven, that a 77-60 victory over Washington on Dec. 9 as a 16.5-point favorite. The total has gone under in three of the Zags’ last four games.
Alabama Off to a Strong Start
The Crimson Tide, unranked in the preseason AP Top 25, has risen to No. 4 behind a talented group of newcomers and a pair of signature victories. Highly regarded freshmen — 6’9″ forward Brandon Miller, 6’10” forward Noah Clowney (Jadaveon’s cousin) and 6’3″ guard Jalen Bradley — have made an immediate impact, as has Ohio transfer guard Mark Sears.
Miller is projected as a 2023 NBA lottery pick and has drawn comparisons to Rudy Gay and Danny Granger.
Impressive performance last night from Alabama freshman Brandon Miller. The 5th ranked Crimson Tide outlast Memphis 91-88.
The 6’9 wing continues to show off his smooth jumper and versatility all over the floor. Adding 5 assists and shooting an efficient 7-13.
18.5PPG, 8.4RPG pic.twitter.com/EFPrryHzYv
— GREENLIGHT MEDIA (@atlgreenlight) December 14, 2022
Miller is averaging a team-high 18.5 points per game and is tied with Clowney (9.6 points) for the team lead in rebounds at 8.4 per game. Miller is an offensive threat from three-point range in, and he is averaging 3.1 makes per game while shooting 43.7% from distance. Point guard Sears (14.8 points) was an all-MAC first teamer while averaging 19.7 points and 4.1 assists a year ago, and his presence has enabled coach Nate Oats to ease guard Jahvon Quinerly into the season after he suffered a left knee injury in the NCAA tournament loss to Notre Dame to end 2021-22.
The Crimson Tide became the first team to beat two No. 1 teams since Oklahoma (1989-90) and the first to do it before January since Duke (1965-66) when they followed the 103-101 quadruple-overtime victory over North Carolina in the semifinals of the Phil Knight Invitational on Nov. 27 with the win in Houston.
Quinerly had 21 points in 44 minutes against the Tar Heels but has played only 57 minutes in the three games since. Starting guard/defensive specialist Nimari Burnett (7.9 points) suffered a wrist injury against Houston and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
Gonzaga May Be Righting Ship
Gonzaga enters with its first three-game winning streak of the season, although it started slowly. The Zags scored the final 11 points of the game to beat Kent State 73-66 on Dec. 5. They followed with double-digit victories over Washington and Northern Illinois. After scoring only nine points against Baylor’s defensive length, preseason 6’10” All-American Drew Timme (20.5 points, 7.9 rebounds per) stepped up in the last three.
Drew Timme with a dominant stretch here pic.twitter.com/yKUnfHAG0C
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) November 28, 2022
Timme had a season-high 29 points, a career-high 17 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots against Kent State. He followed that with 22 points, four assists and four steals against Washington and finished with 26 points and six rebounds against Northern Illinois. All that after Michigan center Hunter Dickinson pointed out that Timme was not assigned to cover defending player of the Oscar Tshiebwe in the Zags’ 88-72 victory over Kentucky on Nov. 20.
Scoring wing Julian Strawther (13.2 points, 8.3 rebounds per game) and guard Rasir Bolton (10.7 points) got some help from 6’10” reserve forward Ben Gregg against Northern Illinois. Gregg had a season-high 18 points and reserve guards Malachi Smith (14) and Hunter Sallis (10) scored in double-figures when Mark Few gave his regulars some time off. The ‘Zags had a season-low six turnovers against NIU.
Gonzaga vs Alabama Prediction
Alabama made 13 3-pointers in beating Gonzaga last season, and while the principal architects of that victory are gone, the firepower with Miller et al remains.
‘Bama has the length inside to present problems. The Tide leads Division I with 48.8 rebounds per game, has a plus-11.9 rebound margin, and is averages 6.1 blocked shots per game. Both teams have played difficult opponents so far, and the Tide has fared a little better. The almost-home team is the play here.
- Pick: Alabama -1.5 (-118)
- Season CBK: 13-4 ATS
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $200 INSTANTLY & A NO SWEAT NBA SGP EVERY DAY!
- FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
BET $5 & GET $150 GUARANTEED!
- BETMGM SPORTSBOOK
GET UP TO $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS!
- CAESARS SPORTSBOOK
GET UP TO $1,000 BACK - ON CAESARS!
Jack has covered college and professional sports for various Arizona media outlets since the 1980s and has written for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball America, among others. He staffed the 2015-17 World Series and has staffed four Super Bowls.
