Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s Prediction: Will Drew Timme and the Bulldogs Get Their Revenge?

Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s Prediction: Will Drew Timme and the Bulldogs Get Their Revenge?

When Gonzaga traveled to St. Mary’s at the beginning of the month, we were blessed with one of the best games of the season. An overtime thriller led by a miraculous second half from freshman Aidan Mahaney gave the Gaels the win in round one. With the Zags in the midst of their best basketball of the season, will they even up the season series?

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Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: Saturday, February 25, 2023
• Start Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN

Click here for Gonzaga vs Saint Mary's odds

Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s Prediction

Gonzaga seemed to be going through the motions early on in the season. It wasn’t until a loss to LMU at home, ending their 75-game winning streak, that we saw the Bulldogs crank it up a notch. When Drew Time and the Zags played at LMU earlier this month, they enacted revenge as I’ve never seen before. That was the most dominant road win I have witnessed in years. Since that win, Gonzaga has looked unstoppable. The energy they are bringing night in and night out is unmatched.

Julian Strawther has been playing out of his mind recently, clearly stepping up as the second scoring option behind Timme. That’s exactly what Gonzaga needed; a second scorer to step up and take the pressure off Timme. He’s averaging 25 points per game over his last four games. With the two of them playing at their best, not even Saint Mary’s defense will be able to slow them down.

The Zags opening up as 5-point favorites after losing the first matchup is surprising, considering the Gaels are five spots ahead of Gonzaga in KenPom. Just like when we saw Gonzaga enact revenge on LMU after an early season loss, the Bulldogs will be the hungrier team tonight. What they’ve been doing to teams recently should be illegal. Mark Few isn’t taking his foot off the gas pedal, as he’s been running up the score, playing his starters extended minutes, and pressing for most of the game. Coach Few has had enough.

Over the past decade, he has built one of the best programs in college basketball. They never seem to live up to expectations, though. Maybe this is the year we see Gonzaga level up and make something happen, considering most of the public has given up on them. Gonzaga has been playing pissed off. Don’t expect that to change anytime soon. I don’t know what Coach Few said to Strawther and some of these guys, but whatever he said worked.

Drew Timme and his Bulldogs lead the nation in scoring. This is an impressive feat in a year with an impressive, much-improved West Coast Conference. We already saw the early season jitters from the Zags. They are long gone. This team is currently playing like the best team in the country. Their fast pace of play will cause all sorts of problems for the Gaels who typically run at a snail’s pace. That’s why we're seeing a higher total than the first matchup.

Gonzaga will dictate the pace of play at home. This will be their key to success. Run in transition and push the pace, tiring out the Gaels and weakening their elite defense. This is the game plan Coach Few will implement. He has his guys playing with high energy and immense focus. Get your Gonzaga ticket in before the spread continues to move in their direction.

Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s Pick

Gonzaga -5.5 (-110) Bet $100 to collect $190 DraftKings has the best odds, click here to bet

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