Mississippi Valley State vs. Gonzaga Odds
| Mississippi Valley State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+41.5 -110 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | OFF |
| Gonzaga Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-41.5 -110 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | OFF |
The Gonzaga Bulldogs headline a small Monday college basketball slate when they face the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils.
The Bulldogs aim for revenge following a disappointing loss to Washington in Seattle on Wednesday. There's no better recipe for bouncing back than facing the winless Delta Devils, who've lost of eight of nine games by 30+ points.
Here's Mississippi Valley State vs Gonzaga odds and a pick for Monday.
Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
Yikes is the first word that comes to mind when looking at the Delta Devils' season. I can't pinpoint many positives about the program's dreadful start.
I guess nearly beating Pacific is a good thing. However, the Tigers look terrible in their own right.
It's not unexpected for Mississippi Valley State to get blown out against better teams. Opposing teams pay smaller conference schools to play, and it's house money for programs like Mississippi Valley State.
The Delta Devils are no stranger to finishing near the bottom of KenPom's rankings, but this year, they're noticeably low. Their 29.79 adjEM ranks last among D-I teams, and the gap between Mississippi Valley State and 361st-ranked Coppin State is a larger gap than No. 1 Houston to No. 8 BYU.
Second-year head coach George Ivory will rely on senior Rayquan Brown, whose 15.3 points per game lead the team. Brown has performed well against high-major opponents, scoring 17 against UConn and TCU. Brown will have ample chances to score the ball against the Zags.
Lastly, Mississippi Valley State's entire KenPom page looks red. If you know what red means on KenPom pages, it's not good.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Bulldogs have dealt with a lot of roster turnover in the past four seasons. It's no surprise that losing three starters has led to mixed results in the season's first month.
Gonzaga's most recent loss to Washington created more concerns, as the offense generated only 0.99 points per possession. That feels nearly impossible based on Gonzaga's historically great offensive stretch in the past five years.
The Bulldogs' offense finished first in Offensive Efficiency (according to KenPom) in four of the past five years, and finished third in the season it didn't finish first. That's elite offensive execution.
This year? Gonzaga has its lowest mark since 2016 at 17th, and Gonzaga made the NCAA tournament that year as an 11-seed.
Additionally, Gonzaga isn't the dominant force it was the past three seasons. Everybody knew Gonzaga could legitimately win the title when Drew Timme dominated opposing teams. I'm not sure Gonzaga can win the title this year with a rotation that goes up to eight players at most. There isn't an obvious No. 1 option, too.
For Gonzaga's offense to reach bigger heights, Ryan Nembhard needs to make a scoring impact. We're talking about a multi-year Big East starter who scored 30 points in an NCAA-tournament win last season. He's more than capable of scoring; it just isn't happening yet.
For good measure, Gonzaga has faced one bottom-15 ranked KenPom team this season, routing Arkansas Pine-Bluff, 111-71, on December 5.
Mississippi Valley State vs. Gonzaga
Betting Pick & Prediction
Gonzaga's struggles — particularly in the shooting department — peaked on the surface in Saturday's loss.
Expect the Bulldogs to show up hungry, looking to quench their hunger with a blowout victory over the worst team in college hoops.
Pick: Gonzaga -40.5
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