UConn vs. Gonzaga Picks, Predictions, Odds

This will be the second time that the UConn Huskies and Gonzaga Bulldogs have met in the NCAA Tournament, and it's also the second time that these programs are squaring off in the Elite Eight.

The first game between these teams was an instant classic as Connecticut rallied around Rip Hamilton with Khalid El-Amin having a bad night. No. 1 UConn overcame a halftime deficit to nip the No. 10 Gonzaga Bulldogs, and the Huskies went on to claim their first NCAA Championship. They would love nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of history on their way to a fifth national championship, while the Bulldogs are still searching for their first title.

The second Elite Eight game of the 2023 NCAA Tournament will see the UConn Huskies face the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 8:49 p.m. ET on TBS. This game will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UConn Huskies vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Prediction

Gonzaga is coming off a big win over UCLA in the Sweet 16, but the Bulldogs were fortunate to win that game. They had to rally from a deficit and then hold off a late charge thanks to a deep three from Julian Strawther. UCLA was not nearly as strong in the interior without Adem Bona available, and that led to Drew Timme finishing with 36 points as the Bulldogs outrebounded the Bruins 50 to 26. UConn has a few big men that can more than hold their own against Timme, and that will likely lead to a win for the Huskies.

Best Bet: UConn -2 (-110)
Score Prediction: UConn 77, Gonzaga 70

UConn Huskies vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Odds

UConn Huskies vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Resources

Date: Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023
TV-Time: TBS, 8:49 p.m. ET
Venue: T-Mobile Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Matchup
Expert Picks

UConn Huskies vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Stats

UConn Huskies
SU: 28-8
ATS: 24-11-1
O/U: 20-16
PPG: 78.7
OPPG: 64.7

Gonzaga Bulldogs
SU: 31-5
ATS: 14-20-1
O/U: 21-14
PPG: 87.1
OPPG: 73.1

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Updated on 07/02/2024

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UConn Huskies Betting Analysis

The most impressive team on Thursday was UConn. While the other three games were in doubt for long stretches, and two weren't decided until the very end, the Huskies completely dominated the action against the Arkansas Razorbacks. UConn led the entire way, and the Huskies led the Razorbacks 62-33 with less than 15 minutes left in the first half. Jordan Hawkins led all scorers with 24 points, and Adama Sanogo was a constant threat in the low post.

There were fears that Sanogo wouldn't be as effective since he is observing Ramadan, but he performed very well on Thursday. UConn will ask him to spend most of his time guarding Drew Timme, but the Huskies do have two other big men that can shut down opposing bigs in the low post. Alex Karaban has a decent amount of size at 6'8, while Donovan Clingan is a 7'2 center that can block a lot of shots. Clingan is only playing 10-15 minutes a game, but he has a massive presence when he is on the court.

Tristen Newton and Andre Jackson are excellent set-up men in this offense. Their ball movement and vision is a big reason why UConn ranks third in adjusted offense per Ken Pomeroy. Hawkins is an elite shot taker and shot maker even though his overall numbers don't look great, and the Huskies are the second-best team in the country when it comes to second chance points from offensive rebounds. Additionally, UConn is a superb free throw shooting team, so it won't be easy to beat the Huskies.

Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Analysis

Drew Timme is only in his fourth year of college basketball, even though it's felt like he's been with Gonzaga for a year or two more. Timme has been one of the top players in the country once more, and he leads the Bulldogs with 21.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 3.2 APG. He is making 64.3% of his two-point field goals, and he is averaging 28.3 PPG through three games in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs have three very good three-point shooters. Malachi Smith is making 50% of his threes, Julian Strawther is hitting 42.1% of his triples, and Rasir Bolton is sinking 39.3% of his shots from downtown. Those numbers combined with Timme's interior game has led to Gonzaga ranking first in the nation in adjusted offense per Pomeroy.

As we saw on Thursday night, Gonzaga has some major issues on defense. Even though the Bulldogs had a huge size advantage over the Bruins, they almost lost the game despite having almost double the number of rebounds. UCLA only had four scoring threats available in that game, and UConn has twice that number. The Bulldogs must find something that works on defense in order to knock off the Huskies.