NCAA Tournament: Connecticut Huskies vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Preview
Arguably one of the best matchups in the Elite Eight comes out of the West, where the No. 4 Connecticut Huskies (28-8) will take on the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs (31-5). This game will be played at the T-Mobile Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 8:49 pm ET.
The Huskies are slight favorites in this one. They are -137 to win, while the Bulldogs’ moneyline sits at +114. The spread features Gonzaga as 2.5-point underdogs (-115), and the over/under for total points is 153.5 (-110).
Connecticut Has Been Rolling All Tournament
Despite being the fourth seed in the region, the Huskies have arguably been one of the most dominant teams in the tournament thus far. Their closest margin of victory was 15 points after they picked up victories over No. 13 Iona (87-63), No. 5 St. Mary’s (70-55), and No. 8 Arkansas (88-65).
In their last victory over Arkansas, the Huskies dominated from the beginning, going into halftime with a 17 point lead. Jordan Hawkins had a game-high 24 points, while Alex Karaban and Adama Sanogo combined for 29 points and 15 rebounds.
Coming into this game, Connecticut ranks 21st in scoring, averaging 78.7 points per game. Throughout the season, the Huskies only had two players averaging double digits in Sanogo (17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds) and Hawkins (16.1 points, 3.7 rebounds). Still, they have been getting contributions throughout the roster.
On defense, Connecticut ranks 34th in the nation, allowing opponents an average of 64.7 points per game (61 over their last three contests).
High Scoring Bulldogs Look To Take Down Huskies
While Connecticut’s offense is elite, Gonzaga has had the best scoring offense in the entire nation this season. Entering play, they are averaging 86.1 points per game.
Their offensive prowess has been on full display this tournament with wins over No. 14 Grand Canyon (82-70), No. 6 TCU (84-81), and No. 2 UCLA (79-76). It was Timme time in the win over UCLA, as Drew Timme had 36 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists in the victory.
Timme has led the team all season in scoring, In 36 games, he is averaging 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. The Bulldogs have three others averaging double digits in Julian Strawther (15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds), Anton Watson (11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds), and Rasir Bolton (10.2 points, 2.6 assists).
The Bulldogs often have to outscore their opponents as their defense has struggled this year. They rank 266th in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of 74 points per game.
Take Connecticut To Win And Cover
Despite making it to the Elite Eight, it seems like Gonzaga has been playing with fire. Against UCLA, they entered halftime down 13 points, and they were luckily able to outscore the Bruins 46-30 in the second half.
In Connecticut, Gonzaga is now going to have to deal with a team that can get it done on both sides of the floor.
Against Gonzaga’s poor defense, the Huskies should be able to put up points at ease. With a defense that ranks 34th overall, they should also be able to get enough stops to pick up the win.
Take Connecticut to both win and to cover the modest 2.5-point spread (-105).
