Before the No. 6. Gonzaga Bulldogs move on to a top-10 matchup to start December, there is business to take care of on Sunday evening against the Xavier Musketeers. The teams meet in a third-place game in the 2022 Phil Knight Legacy Invitational and each will be looking for their fifth game of the season. On the other side of Sunday’s game, Gonzaga has a date with No. 7 Baylor, and the Zags have already defeated No. 4 Kentucky earlier this year. Meanwhile, Xavier has lost both its games against ranked opponents this season.
Tip-off from Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon, is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs are favored by 7.5 points in the latest Gonzaga vs. Xavier odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over/under is set at 159.5. Before entering any Xavier vs. Gonzaga picks, you’ll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated more than $1,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Gonzaga vs. Xavier. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Gonzaga vs. Xavier:
Gonzaga vs. Xavier spread: Gonzaga -7.5Gonzaga vs. Xavier over/under: 159.5 pointsGonzaga vs. Xavier money line: Gonzaga -340, Xavier +270Gonzaga vs. Xavier picks: See picks here
Featured Game | Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Xavier Musketeers
What you need to know about Gonzaga
Gonzaga only has two losses this season; a 19-point loss to No. 11 Texas on November 16 and its most recent game to No. 24 Purdue on Friday, 84-66. Gonzaga’s defeat came about despite a quality game from forward Drew Timme, who had 22 points with nine rebounds. Nolan Hickman was the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer, with 15 points. Julian Strawther was the Zags’ top player on the boards, with ten rebounds.
Even though Gonzaga is already a two-loss team, it has been one of the most efficient shooting sides in the nation. The Bulldogs have made half of their attempts from the field this season, led by Timme, who has made 62.5% of his. Gonzaga has also done well to set up smart shots this year, and have only been blocked 1.8 times per game, which is the 23rd-lowest mark in the nation.
What you need to know about Xavier
The Musketeers came up short against the Duke Blue Devils this past Friday, 71-64. Forward Jack Nunge, who averages 14.8 points per game this season, had a rough afternoon, with a 1-for-13 shooting performance. Souley Boum was the top scorer for Xavier, and finished with 23 points to match his season-high from the first game of the year.
Xavier has been every bit as efficient as Gonzaga from the field, and enters the contest with a 50.9% field goal percentage. The sharpest player from the floor on most nights has been Zach Freemantle, who has hit 61.1% of his shots this season. As a team, Xavier has done well boxing out under the glass, and limits opponents to just 19.8 defensive rebounds per contest, which is the tenth-lowest mark in the nation.
How to make Xavier vs. Gonzaga picks
The model has simulated Gonzaga vs. Xavier 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins Gonzaga vs. Xavier? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
