Northern Arizona vs Gonzaga Odds, Lines and Spread
- Top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-0), fresh off a 98-75 blowout victory over No. 16 Virginia, host the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (1-5, 0-1 Big Sky) Monday, Dec. 28 at 9:00 pm ET
- The Zags got a career-high 32 points from Corey Kispert in the victory over the Cavaliers Saturday, while the Lumberjacks snapped a season-opening five-game losing skid Tuesday against Denver
- Read below for odds, analysis, and our best bet for this matchup
The top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-0) continue their quest for the program’s first national championship Monday, Dec. 28 with a non-conference home game against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (1-5, 0-1 Big Sky). Tip is set for 9:00 pm ET at The Kennel.
Head coach Mark Few’s club dispatched No. 16 Virginia in resounding fashion in Fort Worth Saturday. The offensive juggernaut continued its assault on college hoops this season, putting up 98 on a Virginia team that is the sports’ most recent champ – and had been a strong defensive unit prior to the contest.
Meanwhile, Shane Burcar’s squad got its first victory of the season last Tuesday against the Pioneers. Cameron Shelton had 27 points as NAU squeaked by Denver 68-65. Now, the Zags are heavy favorites over the ‘Jacks in Gonzaga’s penultimate non-conference tilt before opening West Coast conference play Saturday at home against San Francisco.
Northern Arizona vs Gonzaga Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Arizona | +39.5 (-104) | +3000 | Ov 156.5 (-110) |
| Gonzaga | -39.5 (-118) | -100000 | Un 156.5 (-110 |
Odds taken Dec. 27 at FanDuel
March to History?
Despite a two-and-a-half week hiatus in the first half of December due to coronavirus issues surrounding the program, Gonzaga appears intent on making history this March. The Bulldogs knocked off their fourth top-25 opponent in Virginia Saturday.
A 98-75 statement victory over the Wahoos followed wins over No. 6 Kansas, No. 11 West Virginia and No. 3 Iowa.
Best team in the country. A pleasure to watch play. @ZagMBB https://t.co/JH2Vc1xMqN
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) December 26, 2020
Kispert’s career effort (which included nine 3s) was accompanied by another career effort by Drew Time, who had 29 points. Few’s club ranks in the top-6 nationally in three critical statistics: Gonzaga is second in the country in scoring offense (95.1), third in field goal percentage (55.7), and sixth in assists (21.6).
If the Bulldogs continue to get performances like the ones they got from Kispert and Timme Saturday – while freshman sensation Jalen Suggs has an off-game (8 points on only 3-of-7 shooting in 29 minutes against Virginia) and beat elite opponents, there’s no reason to think Gonzaga won’t blast NAU in Spokane.
‘Jack’d Up
Northern Arizona has gotten incrementally better over its last three games. After getting blown out by Mountain West program Colorado State 91-52 Dec. 14, the ‘Jacks lost to the Big Sky’s Eastern Washington by 16, and the Sun Belt’s Texas State by five before finally tasting victory against the Summit’s Denver by three.
THAT'S OUR GUY! @mrrshelton with his second-highest point total of his career and he's the APS Electric Player of the Game!#NAUStrong ⚒️🌲🏀 #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/JQc1ZtNRgI
— NAU Men's Basketball (@NAUBasketball) December 22, 2020
Shelton was dominant and clutch in the win. Three times in the final two minutes, the junior guard made a pair of free throws after the Pioneers made it a one-point game with two minutes to play each time. The 6-foot-2 Southern California native is the team’s leading scorer, averaging just under 20 points per game.
No matter what Shelton does Monday though, Northern Arizona is clearly the inferior team in this spot.
Bigger Fish to Fry
There’s an infinitesimal chance Gonzaga loses to NAU Monday. The question is how much will the Bulldogs win by? According to KenPom, college basketball’s No. 1-rated team is predicted to win by 35 points (in a 96-61 predictive matchup).
The program owns the nation’s longest home winning streak at 41 games and seems to be on a mission through seven games. Now, the conversation turns to this: Can Gonzaga go undefeated through the regular season?
FINAL: No. 1 Gonzaga 98, No. 16 Virginia 75.
The Zags now have convincing wins over No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 Iowa, No. 7 West Virginia and No. 16 Virginia. The average margin of victory in those four games is 12.8 points. Let the undefeated talk begin.
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) December 26, 2020
Prior to Saturday’s demolition of UVa, KenPom estimated the Zags’ chances of finishing without a loss heading into Selection Sunday at 24.3-percent. After the result against the Cavs, Pomeroy’s algorithm has Few’s squad with a 44.1-percent chance of going unscathed through mid-March.
Only three teams have done that since 1979: 1990-91 UNLV, 2013-14 Wichita State and 2014-15 Kentucky. None won the NCAA Tournament, but the Runnin’ Rebels and Wildcats both made the Final Four. These Zags have a legit shot to become just the eighth team in the tourney era to run the table (and the first to do it since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers).
That brings us back to Monday’s game against the ‘Jacks, when the journey to immortality continues. The spread is huge and, with a game Tuesday against Dixie State, I would suggest too huge. I say Gonzaga wins and wins big, but won’t cover the spread.
The pick: Northern Arizona +39.5 (-104)
Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.
