San Francisco vs. Gonzaga Picks, Predictions, Odds

The San Francisco Dons knocked off the Santa Clara Broncos early Sunday morning to advance to the WCC Tournament semifinals. San Francisco will now face the Gonzaga Bulldogs for a spot in the WCC Championship Game against either Saint Mary's or BYU on Tuesday night.

The Dons haven't made it to the WCC Championship Game in 25 years, and they are massive underdogs per the NCAA betting odds against the Bulldogs. Gonzaga has had plenty of rest prior to this game while San Francisco played on Friday and Saturday night.

The second semifinal of the WCC Tournament will take place on Monday, March 6, 2023 at 11:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Gonzaga Bulldogs and San Francisco Dons will meet at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

San Francisco Dons vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Prediction

It's almost impossible to bet against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the WCC Tournament. Gonzaga has ruled this conference over the last quarter century, making it to the WCC Championship Game for each of the last 25 seasons. The last WCC Championship Game that didn't involve Gonzaga took place in 1997 when Saint Mary's bested San Francisco in the final, and the Dons are looking to replicate that. They won't be able to get the win, but they will be able to keep it within the number against the Bulldogs.

Best Bet: San Francisco +14
Score Prediction: Gonzaga 82 San Francisco 77

San Francisco Dons vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Odds

San Francisco Dons vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Resources

Date: Monday, Mar. 6, 2023
TV-Time: ESPN2, 11:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Orleans, Arena
Location: Las Vega, Nevada
Matchup
Expert Picks

WCC Tournament Odds

San Francisco Dons vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Stats

San Francisco Dons
SU: 20-13
ATS: 17-16
O/U: 15-18
PPG: 76.3
OPPG: 73.1

Gonzaga Bulldogs
SU: 26-5
ATS: 14-17
O/U: 20-11
PPG: 87.9
OPPG: 73.6

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

San Francisco Dons Betting Analysis

San Francisco nearly knocked off Gonzaga in the first meeting between these teams. The Dons had a 12-point lead on the Zags early in the second half, and they were up by six points with just over four minutes to play. However, Gonzaga rallied to beat San Francisco for the 26th consecutive time. The Bulldogs are 49-4 since 2000 against the Dons, underscoring just how tough this game is for the underdogs here. To even get to this point, senior guard Khalil Shabazz had to have a career game against Santa Clara, exploding for 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the double overtime win.

The Dons live and die by the three-pointer. Nearly half of their shot attempts are from behind the three-point line, as Shabazz and Tyrell Roberts have combined to take a whopping 460 treys this season. Shabazz is an average three-point shooter, sinking 34.9% of his attempts, while Roberts is knocking down 38.9% of his chances from deep. Isaiah Hawthorne is making 38.2% of his triples, and Marcus Williams is leading the way with a sterling 41.1% mark.

This offense must limit turnovers if San Francisco is going to upset Gonzaga and make it to the WCC Championship Game. The Dons turn the ball over on 19.8% of their possessions, as the ball handling is not great. Additionally, San Francisco has to limit its fouls, as the Dons send opponents to the line often.

Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Analysis

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have become an inevitability in the WCC. Gonzaga has won 19 of the last 25 WCC Tournaments, and the Bulldogs are set to make it to their 24th straight NCAA Tournament. The only two teams that have made more consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances are Kansas (32) and Michigan State (24).

Drew Timme is having another solid year for the Bulldogs, averaging 21.1 PPG and 7.4 RPG. He is making 61.8% of his field goals, but he has been a subpar free throw shooter. The second leading scorer on Gonzaga is Julian Strawther with 15.3 PPG, and the guard has done a good job of rebounding too with 6.2 RPG. Additionally, Strawther is one of three elite perimeter shooters on the Bulldogs, and he is making 42.6% of his threes. Rasir Bolton is making 40.2% of his threes while averaging 10.9 PPG, and Malachi Smith is knocking down 50% of his attempts from downtown.

That has made Gonzaga into an elite offense. The Bulldogs have the best offense in the country according to Ken Pomeroy, as they are making 59.1% of their two-point attempts and they don't turn the ball over. Gonzaga ranks second in effective field goal percentage and 12th nationally in turnover rate, but the reason why the Bulldogs aren't considered a national title contender this season is due to the defense. The Zags have not been good in this area all year.