Jackson State vs. Gonzaga Odds
| Jackson State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+26.5 -110 | 154.5 -110o / -110u | OFF |
| Gonzaga Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-26.5 -110 | 154.5 -110o / -110u | OFF |
Let's head out west to Spokane, Washington, as the Gonzaga Bulldogs get set to host the Jackson State Tigers. The Bulldogs are coming off a tough loss in Seattle against the UConn Huskies, a game in which they were dominated from the opening tip.
As for the Tigers, they fully understand this is going to be a tall task at hand. The question will be whether or not the Bulldogs come out fiery after their last performance.
Jackson State Tigers
The Tigers are one of the smallest teams in the entire country, which is not good when you're about to face a Bulldogs frontcourt that features Graham Ike and Braden Huff. Without stating the obvious, this is a horrific matchup for them.
This group is 250th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 235th in Defensive Efficiency. Going up against the Bulldogs — who are top 25 in both of these categories — smells like big trouble.
What's even more alarming is that this offense is 327th in Rim-and-3 Rate, which illustrates that the Tigers' offense is even worse than their actual production. They can't find any good open looks, and I doubt that changes here.
The biggest area of concern lies beyond the arc. The Tigers are 291st in 3PT%, and they’re allowing 47 3-point attempts per game.
Although the Bulldogs don’t shoot particularly well from beyond the arc, this is a spot they can easily get hot. The only prayer for the Tigers will be if the Bulldogs remain ice cold in that area.
Typically, the market tends to over-inflate Gonzaga at home against an inferior opponent, but I think it may be warranted in this particular spot, especially given how poor the Tigers' matchup is.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Without digging too much into the metrics, this was a spot that I had circled to target the Bulldogs. Given the nature of their loss against the Huskies, I expect a very valiant effort from Mark Few’s team.
As mentioned earlier, this group is a very balanced team. The Bulldogs have had their struggles from beyond the arc, but I expect them to find success against this horrendous Tigers perimeter defense.
Even if they continue to struggle from the outside, the Tigers are allowing their opponents to shoot 54% inside the arc. This is where the likes of Ike and Huff should absolutely feast, taking advantage of their size.
The Bulldogs have San Diego State on deck, but I doubt this is a lookahead spot. I think this is going to be an extremely focused effort.
I expect the Zags to dominate on the glass as well, which is another area that the Tigers are vulnerable. The more numbers I dig through, the more reason I believe they’re going to dominate.
Jackson State vs. Gonzaga
Betting Pick & Prediction
If it wasn’t obvious enough, the Bulldogs are in a clear smash spot. I love them in this game, and I don’t care how large of a number this is.
There are way too many reasons to like them in this spot, especially since they’re coming off the UConn loss. They should dominate on the glass, and I expect them to get right from 3-point land.
The Tigers have no business being in the same arena as the Bulldogs, and I think all it will take is an early deficit for the air to come out of their tires. I expect an absolute thrashing by the Zags.
Pick: Gonzaga -26 (Play to -28)
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