The Gonzaga Bulldogs (22-7) head to BYU to take on the Cougars (22-8) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Cougars enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out Portland 99-81 on Thursday. BYU received a boost from Kyle Collinsworth, who finished with 14 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds. This gave him his fifth triple-double of the year. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off an 82-60 win against San Diego on Thursday. Silas Melson was the game’s top scorer, accounting for 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
Nick Emery has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Cougars. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 3.8 three-pointers.
This showdown pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as BYU currently ranks 29th in offensive efficiency and Gonzaga is 19th in defensive efficiency.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Cougars winning the first matchup 69-68. Kyle Wiltjer had a double-double in the loss with 35 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cougars have gone 22-8 Straight Up (SU) and 14-11-3 Against The Spread (ATS). BYU is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.44. BYU’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 63.1 during that span, compared to its 72.1 season average.
As for their opponent, the Bulldogs have 22-7 SU and 11-16-1 ATS records. Offensively, they average 79.1 points per game, which is good for 40th in the country. The Bulldogs convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 22nd in the nation at .750. Defensive rebounding is an area where Gonzaga has excelled. The Bulldogs average 29.4 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
With the Cougars’ last win against Gonzaga, BYU moved closer to evening up its record against Gonzaga. It now stands at 3-7 SU over their most recent meetings. Furthermore, Gonzaga holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-3-1. Gonzaga held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while BYU was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – BYU, ATS Winner – BYU
Notes
“BYU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games “.
“BYU is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of BYU’s last 6 games at home”.
“BYU is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Gonzaga”.
“BYU is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Gonzaga”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 9 of BYU’s last 11 games when playing Gonzaga”.
BYU is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 84.5 points per game (ranked sixth). Gonzaga allows 65.2 points per game (ranked 31st).
Gonzaga has allowed an average of 68.2 points per away game this season. BYU averages 87.8 points per home game, ranking sixth in scoring.
In its last game, Gonzaga won by a margin of 22 points. BYU is 9-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Gonzaga has an 11-0 record in blowouts.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs rank 12th for their offensive rating of 116.7. The BYU Cougars have a defensive rating of 98.0 (ranked 49th).
Gonzaga has an average field goal percentage of 48.2%, ranked 25th in the country. BYU is a winning 4-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, BYU attempts 23.0 three pointers and Gonzaga attempts 20.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The BYU Cougars sit at 18-7 and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are 10-5.
BYU ranks 27th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.44, while Gonzaga ranks 84th with an A/TO of 1.22.
BYU and Gonzaga are two of the top rebounding teams in the country. BYU is ranked 10th with 41.5 rebounds per game, and Gonzaga ranks 24th with 40.4.
Gonzaga ranks 163rd in offensive rebounds, while BYU ranks at fifth in defensive rebounds.
BYU averages a forced turnover rate of 17.7% this season. Gonzaga has a 7-5 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
