The No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs (13-2) put their nine-game winning streak on the line when they take on the Santa Clara Broncos (9-6, 1-0 WCC) at McCarthey Athletic Center. The game will air on ROOT SPORTS at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019.
Santa Clara Broncos at Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Prediction
In the Broncos’ last game, they were beaten by the Prairie View A&M Panthers, 81-64. Prairie View A&M’s turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Santa Clara. The Panthers had a rate of 11.7, while the Broncos posted a mark of 22.3. Santa Clara’s Josh Martin had a solid game, putting up 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Bulldogs dismantled the Idaho State Bengals in their last contest, 120-79. The Bulldogs had a much better free throw rate (0.429 vs. 0.129) and had a much better turnover percentage (7.5 vs. 16.5). Rui Hachimura was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the field.
After the Bulldogs won both contests against the Broncos last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last game, Gonzaga won 75-60. Gonzaga out-rebounded Santa Clara. The Bulldogs had 10 offensive rebounds and 37 total rebounds, while the Broncos had five and 26, respectively.
Brandon Clarke and Hachimura have been playing well over the last five games for Gonzaga. Clarke has averaged 0 points per game. Not to be outdone, Hachimura has recorded 0 points a game during that span.
This matchup pits one of the country’s top offenses against one of its elite defensesGonzaga ranks third in effective field goal percentage (0.604), while Santa Clara is 54th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.460).
Santa Clara Broncos at Gonzaga Bulldogs Free Pick
Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Gonzaga, ATS Winner – Gonzaga, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Betting Notes:
Santa Clara ranks 14th in three pointers allowed per game (18.0) while Gonzaga ranks 177th (24.1).
The Bulldogs rank 33rd in rebounds per game (40.3) while the Broncos rank 153rd (35.6).
Gonzaga ranks sixth in assists per game (19.3) while Santa Clara ranks 116th in assists allowed per game (13.0).
The Bulldogs rank 39th in steals allowed per game (5.3) while the Broncos rank 92nd (6.2).
Santa Clara ranks 47th in blocks per game (4.3) while Gonzaga ranks 15th in blocks allowed per game (2.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Broncos have been outscored by an average of 9.8 points in their last five games. For the season, Santa Clara has defeated opponents by an average of 4.1 points.
During their last five games, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 98.6 points per game (4.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 73.8 points per game (2.7 above their season average).
+++++
