Kent State vs Gonzaga Predictions & Odds (Dec.5)

• Gonzaga meets Mid-American Conference favorite Kent State on Monday, December 5.
• No. 14 Gonzaga is a 16.5-point home favorite against the Golden Flashes.
• Read below for Gonzaga vs Kent State odds and prediction.

No. 14 Gonzaga (5-3) is a 16.5-point home favorite against Kent State at 9:00 pm ET Monday on Root Sports. The Bulldogs have lost lost two of their last three after a 64-63 setback to Baylor on a neutral court in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Friday.

Kent State (6-2) will play its second ranked opponent in nine days after falling to then-No. 2 Houston on the road Nov. 26. The Golden Flashes, who won their first five games before falling at the College of Charleston and Houston, recovered with an 83-68 victory over South Dakota State on Friday.

Kent State vs Gonzaga Odds

Odds from FanDuel on Dec. 4. Claim the FanDuel promo code. 

Gonzaga is a 16.5-point home favorite over Kent State in a game to be played at the Bulldogs’ campus home, McCarthey Athletic Center. At -2100 on the moneyline, the Bulldogs have a whopping 95.5 implied win probability. Gonzaga is 2-6 ATS this season and has failed to cover its last four and six of its last seven. The total has gone over in five of the Zags’ eight games.

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Kent State is 7-0 ATS with the game against NCAA Division III off the board. The Golden Flashes are 1-2 SU and 3-0 ATS as an underdog, easily covering the 19.5 number in a 49-44 loss at Houston on Nov. 26. The total has been under in five of their seven games on the board.

Gonzaga in Uncharted Waters

Gonzaga’s traditionally challenging non-conference schedule has not worked out as well as it usually does this season. The Bulldogs fell to 5-3 after a 64-63 neutral-court loss to Baylor on Friday and have lost three of their first eight games for the first time since 2010-11. That year, the Bulldogs opened 4-5 and finished 25-10  before losing to BYU in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga shot only 36.1 percent against Baylor and were outscored 8-0 in the final 93 seconds in their third loss to a ranked team.

Anton really that guy tbh 😈🔥 pic.twitter.com/0L0T5o6Ccd

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 3, 2022

Drew Timme again had trouble against long Flo Thamba and Baylor’s aggressive play, and he did not get his first field total until 6:02 remained. He finished with a season-low nine points as a complimentary piece behind Chattanooga transfer 6’4 guard Malachi Smith (16 points, two steals) and forward Anton Watson (13 points, 13 rebounds). Smith averaged 18.6 points in two seasons with the Moccasins and is more of a shooter than a traditional point.

Sophomore point Nolan Hickman had eight assists against Baylor as he grows into the role, but the Bulldogs had 18 turnovers and are averaging 14.9 turnovers per game, three more per game that a year ago.

Kent State the MAC Favorite

Kent State was the MAC coaches’ favorite to win the league in the preseason poll, and early results are positive. Guard Sincere Carry, the 2021-22 MAC Player of the Year and the preseason choice to repeat, leads a veteran group that returns perimeter threats Giovanni Santiago and Malique Jacobs but must replace some interior muscle from a 23-11 team that won the regular-season title at 16-4 and lost to Akron in the MAC tournament finals.

Kent State loses, but hotdamn. How can you not love the tenacity of this team? Golden Flashes force 23 turnovers — including eight (8!) steals for Sincere Carry — as they hold Houston to 0.73 PPP.

Cougars came in ranked 10th nationally in offensive efficiency.

— Rush the Other 26 (@other26hoops) November 26, 2022

Lead guard Carry, 6’1, is averaging 18.5 points and 5.1 assists. He had 23 points and seven three-pointers against South Dakota State after being pressured into the worst game of his career at Houston, when he was 2 of 22 from the field (1 of 11 from three-point range) and had seven turnovers. Thomas is averaging 12.9 points, and 6’9 sophomore Cli’Ron Hornbeak had 11 points and 10 rebounds as one of new frontcourt pieces.

Gonzaga vs Kent State Prediction

In previous seasons, this might look like a soft spot in Gonzaga’s otherwise trying preseason, but Kent State is a worthy opponent. The Golden Flashes scheduled up for a reason, knowing this game would look good on its postseason resumè and even better if can hang tough. The Bulldogs would like to take out their early-season frustrations on Kent State, but the double-digit points are too many to overlook here, especially considering both teams records against the spread.

• Pick: Kent State +16.5 (-115)
• Season CBK: 7-3 ATS