The Washington State Cougars (4-0) face off against the No. 13 Gonzaga Bulldogs (4-1) at Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. The game starts at 11:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 2 and can be seen on FS1.
The Cougars defeated Texas Southern 77-65 on Saturday. Josh Hawkinson was the team’s high scorer with 20 points on 9-for-14 shooting. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a 73-70 win over Connecticut on Friday. Domantas Sabonis played well for Gonzaga, posting 12 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.
Washington State is a nine-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 146 points. The Cougars are looking to build on their records of 4-0 Straight Up (SU) and 2-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Washington State’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game.
On the other side, the Bulldogs have 4-1 SU and 2-1-1 ATS records. The Bulldogs have controlled the glass with an average of 44.0 rebounds per game, 23rd in the country. Gonzaga’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 3.0 shots from the three-point line per game.
These two will be facing off in their first head-to-head contest of the season. When they last met the Bulldogs were winners, bringing their SU record to 7-3. The Cougars lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2.
Predictions: SU Winner – WashSt, ATS Winner – WashSt, O/U – Over
Notes
Washington State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
Washington State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington State’s last 7 games when playing Gonzaga.
Washington State is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Gonzaga.
Washington State averages 79.5 points per game this season. Gonzaga is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 60.8 points per game (ranked 23rd).
Ranked 12th, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 84.4 points per 100 possessions. The Washington State Cougars rank 86th in offense, scoring 113.0 points in the same number of possessions.
Gonzaga beats Washington State in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Bulldogs average 71.3 possessions and 1.139 points per possession, while the Cougars average 70.3 possessions with 1.130 points per possession.
The Washington State Cougars average 20.0 three point attempts per game, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs attempt 19.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, Washington State is a perfect 2-0, while Gonzaga also has a winning record (3-1).
Washington State, the fourth-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 7.0 per game. Gonzaga ranks lower at 311th with 2.0.
Washington State ranks 122nd in offensive rebounds, while Gonzaga ranks ninth in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 18.0% when playing Gonzaga this season. Washington State is undefeated this season (4-0) when its TO% is 18.0% or higher.
