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San Francisco vs Gonzaga Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds and Picks
Dons, Bulldogs in WCC Semifinals for Second Year in a Row
Gonzaga Eyeing 27th Straight Win Against San Francisco
One of the most anticipated games in conference tournaments from coast to coast is close to being finalized.
Gonzaga can take care of its end of the bargain with a win over San Francisco on Monday night. That game will follow the Saint Mary’s-Brigham Young game in the West Coast Conference semifinals.
San Francisco needed double overtime to top Santa Clara on Saturday while Loyola Marymount, which owns wins over both Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s, was knocked out in the quarterfinals. The NCAA predictions aren’t siding with the underdog Dons in this matchup.
Gonzaga hasn’t played since putting up 104 points on Chicago State on March 1 in what could have been the final home game of Drew Timme’s remarkable run with the Bulldogs.
Julian Rishwain, one eight San Francisco players averaging at least 20 minutes per game, is out for the season with a knee injury. That could factor into the college basketball picks. Kaden Perry and Joe Few continue to be sidelined for Gonzaga.
Gonzaga moved up two spots to No. 10 in both the Associated Press Top 25 poll and coaches’ polls.
According to the odds to win March Madness, Gonzaga (+2000) is tied for ninth in the odds to win the national championship.
Gonzaga is ninth in the latest NCAA NET rankings, one spot behind conference rival Saint Mary’s, as another top 16 seed in the March Madness bracket is likely for the Bulldogs regardless of what happens in the conference tournament.
Shabazz Ready to Go
After a quiet outing in San Francisco’s first game in the WCC tournament, senior guard Khalil Shabazz made his presence felt in the quarterfinals against Santa Clara.
He was 10 of 19 from the field, 7 of 12 from 3-point range and made 11 free throws. The Dons needed all 38 of his points to survive and advance as San Francisco rallied from an 11-point deficit.
This was the third 30-point effort for Shabazz over his eight games. Shabazz averaged 21 points and eight rebounds in the first two games against Gonzaga this season. He had 27 points in the 2022 WCC semifinal loss to Gonzaga.
San Francisco has covered against the college basketball betting lines in eight of its last nine games played in March.
One More Time for Timme?
Thanks to the eligibility rules put in place as a result of the global pandemic, Timme could return for the 2023-24 season. However, the prevailing notion is that this is the last rodeo for one of the all-time greats in Gonzaga basketball history.
Timme has led the Bulldogs to WCC titles in each of his first three seasons and he looks to make it 4-for-4. Gonzaga will be in the college basketball news as the quest for another WCC tournament title begins.
Look at this guy @drewtimme2 pic.twitter.com/5oRmIJGsDY
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) March 2, 2023
Timme has averaged 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds as Gonzaga has won seven games in a row since an overtime loss to Saint Mary’s on Feb. 4. The winning streak began with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting in a win over San Francisco.
He was held to 11 points and four rebounds in the first matchup against San Francisco this season.
Gonzaga has covered against the Las Vegas odds in four of its last five games.
San Francisco vs Gonzaga Game Injuries
San Francisco vs Gonzaga Head-to-Head
Gonzaga has won 26 straight games against San Francisco and that includes both matchups this season.
The Dons have covered in three of the last five games and that includes a near-upset at home on Jan. 5. Rasir Bolton’s tip-in with less than 10 seconds to play gave the Bulldogs the two-point win.
This is the third meeting in the WCC tournament between the teams in the last four seasons. Gonzaga won 81-77 as 12½-point favorites in 2020 and 81-71 as 14½-point favorites in last year’s event.
Three of the last four games between the teams finished under the total.
San Francisco vs Gonzaga Game Information
- Game: San Francisco (20-13, 7-9 WCC) vs Gonzaga (26-5, 14-2)
- Location: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas
- Day/Time: Monday, March 6, at approximately 11:30 p.m. ET
- San Francisco vs Gonzaga Live Stream: TBS.com
San Francisco vs Gonzaga Betting Lines
San Francisco vs Gonzaga Picks and Prediction
Gonzaga is 17-2 when favored by at least 10 points this season and that includes a 99-81 over San Francisco on Feb. 9 when listed by the college basketball odds as a 14-point favorite. That happens to be about the same line for this matchup.
The game features four of the top 10 scorers in the WCC.
Timme was tied with Loyola Marymount’s Cam Shelton for the conference lead at 21.2 points per game. Shabazz was fifth at 17.2 while San Francisco’s Tyrell Roberts (15.9 ppg) and Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther (15.4) were seventh and ninth, respectively.
Gonzaga not only tops the WCC but is also the national leader with an average of 87.4 points per game. USF is eighth in the WCC at 75.7 points scored per game.
San Francisco leads the conference with 308 3-pointers made and 869 attempted 3-pointers. The Dons will need to be dialing long distance to stay with the favored Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs are 24-3 when listed by the sportsbook as the favorite. San Francisco is 6-9 as the underdog, with two of those losses coming against Gonzaga.
Gonzaga is 1-5 against the spread (ATS) in neutral-site games this season with USF 4-2 ATS in those contests.
San Francisco is listed at +740 in our Las Vegas college basketball lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Dons, you have a chance to win $740. Gonzaga is -1140, offering a chance to win $9 on a $100 wager. The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives San Fransisco a 11.90% chance to win, with Gonzaga at 91.94%.
