Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Prediction: Can The Bulldogs Advance to the West Coast Conference Final?

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Prediction: Can The Bulldogs Advance to the West Coast Conference Final?

There aren’t many sports where a team holds a 26-game winning streak over another. Welcome to the madness of college basketball. Gonzaga has beaten San Francisco the previous 26 times they’ve faced off. Will Gonzaga keep the streak alive tonight in the WCC Semifinals?

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Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Prediction

Gonzaga is one of the hottest teams in the country, currently boasting a seven-game win streak. After a slow start to the season, Mark Few’s Bulldogs are finally locked in at the right time. They haven’t just been winning, either. Gonzaga is destroying teams and putting up nearly 100 points in every contest. The Zags are out for blood. The effort and defensive tenacity have drastically improved.

Drew Timme has played well all season, but it’s been the Gonzaga backcourt that’s taken the Bulldogs to the next level. Julian Strawther is finally playing like the future NBA talent he is. Malachi Smith, the once highly anticipated transfer from Chattanooga, is now consistently in double figures. Gonzaga is finally playing their best basketball. In a year where the public rarely isn’t predicting the Zags to contend for a title, this is when they sneakily may pull it off.

San Francisco has done a great job of staying relevant in the WCC this season after losing their coach and many of their seniors. Khalil Shabazz is the one remaining piece from last year’s Dons. He has been as advertised; Shabazz is one of the best scorers in the nation. He dropped 38 points in their previous win. Tyrell Roberts has been great since transferring from Washington State. There is no doubt that San Fran has an above-average backcourt. Unfortunately for the Dons, Shabazz and Roberts will be matched up against a much bigger, more physical Gonzaga backcourt.

This bet tonight isn’t a fade of the Dons. It’s a bet backing the hungriest team in the country. In all my years following this majestic sport, I have never seen a team play with the effort, tenacity, and heart that the Zags are currently showing. Typically you only see this type of hunger from an irrelevant mid-major, just trying to stay alive at the moment. I’ve never seen this level of effort from a program as relevant as Gonzaga. Pairing this hunger with a roster filled with talent is a dangerous combo that I want no part in fading. The Zags are a wagon I do not want to get in the way of.

Sharps hammered this line from the -12.5 opener up to -14.5 at some books. They seem to believe in the momentum of this Gonzaga team as well. I love the spot for a fresh Bulldogs team against a Dons team coming off a double-overtime thriller. That game ended ridiculously late, and both teams put on an offensive showcase. The Dons must be tired from running for the entirety of that game against an up-tempo Santa Clara team. I’d typically target the first half with a double-digit favorite, but considering San Francisco’s potential fatigue, I want the full 40 minutes tonight. San Fran’s legs will be tired in the second half; a fresh Zags team will expose the Dons’ fatigue.

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Pick

Gonzaga -14 (-110) Bet $100 to collect $190 DraftKings has the best odds; click here to bet

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: Monday, March 6, 2023
• Start Time: 11:30 pm ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN2

Click here for Gonzaga vs. San Francisco odds