The No. 13 Gonzaga Bulldogs go for a third straight win, and a little revenge, when they take on the host Loyola Marymount Lions in a West Coast Conference contest on Thursday night. Gonzaga is coming off a home win over BYU and is in second place in the WCC college basketball standings, one game behind Saint Mary’s.
Loyola Marymount has lost three of four, but it handed Saint Mary’s its only conference loss a week ago and is in fourth in the WCC, a half-game behind Santa Clara. The Lions also snapped the Bulldogs’ long home winning streak in the first matchup of these NCAA basketball teams this season, so this should have some extra meaning for both squads.
Let’s take a closer look at the Gonzaga vs LMU odds and put together some recommendations to include among your college basketball picks for Thursday.
Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Loyola Marymount Lions Information
Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Loyola Marymount Lions
Location: Gersten Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA.
Date and Time: Thursday, February 16, 2023, 11:00 PM ET.
How to Watch: CBS Sports Network
Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Loyola Marymount Lions Recent Scores
As stated earlier, this could be one of the most intense NCAA basketball games today because it was Loyola Marymount that snapped Gonzaga’s 75-game home win streak when the two teams played in January. The streak was tied for the eighth longest in Division I history.
It also snapped a 25-game losing streak by the Lions to the Bulldogs, so some of the aura of invincibility that Gonzaga may have had against Loyola Marymount will certainly be gone.
Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Loyola Marymount Lions Betting Analysis
Gonzaga Bulldogs Facts to Know
It’s a strange look at the Gonzaga Bulldogs standings in the West Coast Conference to not see them on top late in the season. Gonzaga is still considered one of the top March Madness bets, but they have a legitimate challenge for the conference title in Saint Mary’s.
Senior Drew Timme continues to be one of the top point producers in the country, averaging a team-high 21.1 points along with a team-best 7.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. The 6-10 forward shoots 60.7% from the floor and has scored in double digits in 24 of 26 games this season.
The Bulldogs are at their best when guard Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton are getting good looks from the perimeter. Strawther is averaging 14.6 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 41.8% from beyond the arc, while Bolton is averaging 11.1 points and hitting 41.3% of his 3-point attempts.
Loyola Marymount Lions Facts to Know
Looking at the Loyola Marymount Lions stats, it’s obvious that senior guard Cam Shelton is the player that makes them go. Shelton is leading the team in scoring (20.4 points), assists (4.4) and steals (1.9) while also grabbing 5.6 rebounds. Shelton has been red hot of late as well, averaging 33.5 points over the last two games.
What would help the Lions when we look at the Gonzaga vs LMU odds would be another hot performance from junior guard Jalin Anderson against the Bulldogs. Anderson had 15 points in the win over Gonzaga in January but has scored in single digits in four of the last five games.
Senior forward Keli Leaupepe will also be key to the Lions’ upset bid, as he’s a solid player on the interior against a team featuring one of the best college basketball players in the country in Timme. Leaupepe is averaging 13.5 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds and is coming off a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday’s loss to Santa Clara.
Updates
The college basketball injury report for these two teams doesn’t show any new injuries to worry about when you’re looking at the NCAAB odds for this game.
Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Loyola Marymount Lions Betting Preview
As you might expect, the Gonzaga vs LMU odds are favoring the visitors in this matchup, with the Bulldogs listed as 8.5-point favorites. You can get -110 odds on either end of that point-spread bet.
If you’d rather make a moneyline pick, Gonzaga is listed at -405, while Loyola Marymount is getting +325 odds. The over/under has been set at 154 points, which is much higher than the 135 points the two teams combined to score in the first matchup.
Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Loyola Marymount Lions Betting Prediction
This should be one of the easier picks to make on the NCAAB schedule on Thursday. Gonzaga is looking for some revenge after the earlier loss, while Loyola Marymount is struggling to win games right now. We like the Bulldogs to come in hot and aggressive and take the easy victory on the road, covering the spread.
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