Gonzaga vs Central Michigan Odds and Picks (Nov. 22)
- No. 1 Gonzaga is a 31.5-point favorite over Central Michigan
- Gonzaga is 4-0 straight up, 2-2 ATS
- Central Michigan is 1-2 straight up and ATS
No. 1 Gonzaga (4-0) is a 31.5-point favorite over Central Michigan in the first round of the Good Sam Empire Classic at 11 pm ET Monday on ESPNU at the T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas. The teams have never met.
Central Michigan (1-2) hired former Kentucky assistant Tony Barbee to replace up-tempo Keno Davis as coach this season. The Chippewas gave up an average of 81.9 points per game a year ago, 338th among NCAA Division 1 schools.
Gonzaga vs Central Michigan Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | -100000 | -31.5 (-108) | Over 155.5 (-110) |
| Central Michigan Chippewas | +4000 | +31.5 (-112) | Under 155.5 (-110) |
Odds from FanDuel on Nov. 21
Gonzaga is an almost 2:1 favorite to win its first NCAA tournament after losing to Baylor 86-70 in the 2021 title game. The Bulldogs are listed at +600 by Fan Duel. Purdue (+1100) and Duke (+1100) are next in line, followed by UCLA (+1200), Kansas (+1300) and Villanova (+1300).
The Chippewas (+10000) are the sixth-favorite to win the Mid-American Conference.
Sustained Excellence
Mark Few’s offense just keeps rolling despite losing starters Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert in the first round of the 2021 and starter Joel Ajayi from a team that won every game but the last one last season to finish 31-1.
Drew Timme, returning guard Andrew Nembhard and new front-court partner Chet Holmgren are leading a group that is averaging 89.8 points a game in the first four, which included an 86-74 victory over No. 5 Texas. The Zags led Division I averaging 91.0 points a game a year ago and averaged 87.4 in 2020.
Preseason @NABC1927 Player of the Year Watch List!@ChetHolmgren @drewtimme2
📰Press Release: https://t.co/8RkhuwLhXe pic.twitter.com/mUbcMOvaZx— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) November 4, 2021
Timme, 6’10, is averaging 20.8 points and 5.3 rebounds a game while shooting 65.3 percent, helped by a point guard who can deliver the ball in the right spot (Nembhard, 5.5 assists) and by a system that creates opportunities for its bigs. Holmgren, 7’1, is averaging 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and four assists. He has 14 blocked shots.
Holmgren, the consensus No. 1 recruit in the nation a year ago, had 14 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and seven blocked shots his first game, a 97-63 victory over Dixie State. He is the first player in the last 25 seasons with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots in his Division I debut.
https://youtu.be/zoonMdS-9EM
Timme was named the West Coast Conference player of the week and and Holmgren was the WCC freshman of the week in the first week of the season. Look for that to continue.
March Madness Reprise
The rematch everyone is waiting for comes early this season, when Gonzaga and No. 2 UCLA meet in the second day of the Empire Classic on Tuesday.
Jalen Suggs’ mid-court buzzer lifted the Zags to an xx-xx overtime victory over UCLA in the Final Four, pushing the Zags into the title game against Baylor and stopping No. 11 seed UCLA’s Cinderella tournament run.
It will the 43rd time that the top two teams in the AP Top 25 poll will meet. The No. 2 team is 13-11 in the 24 regular-season games. No. 1 leads the overall series, which includes NCAA tournament play, 22-20. The average score of the games is 75-75. UCLA plays Bellarmine in its first game Monday.
Chippewas Start Anew
Central Michigan may not be able to match up physically with Gonzaga, but it will bring a positive vibe into the first meeting between the two.
The Chippewas overcame a 20-point deficit to beat Eastern Illinois 62-61 on Monday when Long Island University transfer guard Jermaine Jackson Jr. made a buzzer-beating layup for Barbee’s first win. Jackson picked up a deflected length of the court pass on an inbounds play with three seconds remaining.
#SCTop10 Watch again with Adam Jaksa's radio call as Jermaine Jackson Jr. hits a lay-up at the buzzer to give CMU a thrilling 62-61 victory at Eastern Illinois on Monday night. #SCTop10#FireUpChips 🔥⬆️ pic.twitter.com/mFkogrqdPO
— CMU Men's Basketball (@CMUMensBBall) November 16, 2021
Jackson, 6′, is one of nine transfers Barbee added to the program after replacing Keno Davis. Jackson and Albany 6’3 transfer Cameron Healy had 14 points apiece against Eastern Illinois, 5’8 freshman Kevin Miller had and Southern U. 6’11 transfer Harrison Henderson had 10.
The Chippewas turned to a zone defense in the second half to get back into the game. Barbee has had previous head coaching stints at UTEP and Auburn.
By the Numbers
Gonzaga has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the 19 straight weeks. A 20th straight week would match San Francisco’s run from 1955-56 for the fourth-longest streak in poll history. Gonzaga leads the nation with 97 consecutive appearances in the AP Top 25. Villanova is second at 42.
These nine teams are above .500 against ranked teams in the last 10 years 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yw5S7IajBc
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) September 16, 2021
Gonzaga covered as a 31-point favorite its last time out in a 92-50 victory over Bellarmine, but did not cover as a 40- and 39.5-point favorite earlier this season. Gonzaga can name its margin here, and even with UCLA next up 24 hours later, the Zags should roll.
The pick: Gonzaga -31.5 (-108)
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.
