After surviving a big scare on Thursday the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs will be looking to have an easier time on Saturday as they take on No. 9 Wichita State in Round of 32 betting action.
Gonzaga got past No. 16 Southern by a score of only 64-58 in their first game of the NCAA Tournament, not coming close to covering the 23-point spread in that contest. Wichita State beat No. 8 Pittsburgh 73-55 as a 4.5-point underdog on Thursday.
The Bulldogs sit at 32-2 (17-13-2 ATS) on the season. By comparison, the Shockers are currently 27-8 (17-14-1 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Gonzaga is 9-20-1 OU, and Wichita State is 15-16 OU.
View Wichita State vs Gonzaga Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
If you were backing the visitors in this one, the Shockers were listed as 6-point underdogs earlier in the day at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
It's a betting matchup between the No. 4-rated Bulldogs and the No. 27-ranked Shockers, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at Odds Shark. Prediction formulas run on this game indicate a possible 85-75 result in favor of the Bulldogs.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Gonzaga's No. 13 nationally ranked offense (77.2 points per game) against a Shockers defense that sits as the No. 42 at 60.7 PPG. The Bulldogs have been averaging 50.1% from the field, more than the Shockers have managed so far this season (44.3% on average).
Defensively, Wichita State features the nation's No. 68-rated defense on the road, allowing 65 points per game. Gonzaga, meanwhile, comes in at No. 25 nationally in scoring at home.
Wichita State won its last outing, a 73-55 result against Pittsburgh on March 21. They covered in that game as a 4.5-point underdog. Malcolm Armstead scored 22 points leading the Shockers to a 73-55 victory over Pittsburgh at EnergySolutions Arena on Thursday.
Last time out for Gonzaga, they were a 64-58 Sportsbook as they battled Southern at home. They failed to cover in the match as a 22.5-point favorite. Kelly Olynyk scored 21 points and helped out with 10 rebounds for Gonzaga on Thursday, leading the Bulldogs to a 64-58 victory over Southern at EnergySolutions Arena.
A few Shockers at Bulldogs trends to consider:
Gonzaga is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Gonzaga's last 10 games
