Arizona State vs. Gonzaga prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

11/09/2024 06:56 PM

Gonzaga looks to continue their dominant start to the season as they host Arizona State Sunday evening. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Arizona State-Gonzaga prediction and pick.

The Sun Devils are 2-0 to begin the season in which both of their wins came down to the wire. They hosted Idaho State for the opener and won 55-48. Then, ASU hosted a rising Santa Clara team, who Gonzaga is very familiar with, and won 81-74 after pulling away late. Now playing in a very tough Big 12 conference, ASU hopes to be competitive. Playing against Gonzaga in the non-conference is a great test as they prepare to face six teams in the conference who are ranked, and currently five in the top 10.

The Bulldogs are just 1-0 on the year but their dominant victory over No. 8 Baylor proved to the world that they mean business. Gonzaga is currently the No. 6 team in the country but may move up a slot or two if they can beat ASU handily.

Gonzaga will head to the newly-formed Pac-12 in 2026, along with the likes of San Diego State, Fresno State, and other former Mountain West schools. Gonzaga, led by head coach Mark Few, has owned the West Coast Conference forever. Now, they will play in a much more competitive conference in the future.

Here are the Arizona State-Gonzaga College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Arizona State-Gonzaga Odds

Arizona State: +17.5 (-102)

Moneyline: +1280

Gonzaga: -17.5 (-120)

Moneyline: -3500

Over: 158.5 (-110)

Under: 158.5 (-110)

How to Watch Arizona State vs. Gonzaga

Time: 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT

TV: ESPN, ESPN+

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why Arizona State Will Cover The Spread/Win

Dan Hurley’s brother, Bobby, continues to coach his team at a high level. Though ASU hasn’t made much noise in March, they have been competitive over the years. Lately, when they have made the NCAA Tournament, they are usually in the First Four. They have won two of their last three First Four games under coach Hurley.

Coming off the bench, BJ Freeman is leading the team in scoring at 14.5 per game. Next is Joson Sanon who scored 11 points in both of the games this season. In their last win against Santa Clara, Freeman led with 17 points while Adam Miller was next with 16. Alston Mason, who scored 16 against Idaho State, only had six points against Santa Clara. Mason is expected to be one of the leaders for the Sun Devils this season as the senior from Belgium is a transfer from Missouri State where he averaged 17.5 points per game last year. Miller averaged 12 points per game last year for ASU after transferring in from LSU, and previously Illinois before that.

The team has serious hopes for Jayden Quaintance, who was a 2024 McDonalds All-American and a 5-star recruit. He hasn’t done damage scoring-wise, but has a chance to be one of the top defenders in the country. He’s currently averaging 5.0 blocks per game in his first two collegiate games.

Any player can show up for this team on any given night and Hurley will keep anyone on the court who is playing well. If they want a chance to cover this spread against Gonzaga, they need multiple players scoring in double figures.

Why Gonzaga Will Cover The Spread/Win

Considering the Bulldogs beat the Bears by 38 points, they can cover against anyone. This is a large spread against a solid ASU squad, but Few’s team should have no troubles at home. The Sun Devils only have one player who can be a serious threat defensively. Quaintance had six blocks against Idaho State and then had four against Santa Clara. He’s young and will be aggressive on the defensive end. If the Bulldogs are aware of this and play smart when he is near the rim, then he can’t hurt them like he has other teams.

This might be senior Nolan Hickman’s team this year. Since playing as a freshman four years ago, Hickman has stepped up every year and has been patient. He averaged 14 points per game last year and started every game, but now he’s expected to play a larger role. He scored 17 to lead the team against Baylor.

Graham Ike has been a walking bucket his whole career, even at Wyoming. The senior forward scored 15 against Baylor and has averaged at least 15 for his whole career. Ryan Nembhard, young brother of former Bulldog Andrew Nembhard, is the team’s facilitator. He dished out 11 assists against Baylor and should continue to set up his teammates all year long. He can score when needed, but this team is so stacked that he can focus on getting all his teammates involved.

There is a lot you can say about everyone. Lastly, however, sophomore Braden Huff is expected to make a major leap this year. The 6-foot-10 forward is an all-around player who scored 14 against Baylor. If his defense improves even a little, he will be one of the top forwards in the nation by the end of next season.

Final Arizona State-Gonzaga Prediction & Pick

Arizona State should keep this competitive for a while but Gonzaga will run away with this game and cover the spread late. Take Gonzaga all the way.

Final Arizona State-Gonzaga Prediction & Pick: Gonzaga -17.5 (-120)

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