The Kentucky Wildcats (16-6) travel to face off against the Gonzaga Bulldogs (17-6) on Saturday, February 10th. This game will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington and televised on CBS. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 4:00 ET.
Kentucky Wildcats vs Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Kentucky Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into their matchup with Gonzaga, Kentucky is 16-6 overall and 6-4 in Southeastern Conference play. The Wildcats have been solid on the road this season, going 5-2, and they have won two straight.
For the year, Kentucky has been favored in 18 of its 22 games, going 14-4 in those matchups. In their last game, the Wildcats beat Vanderbilt, 109-77.
As the favorite, Kentucky has gone 9-9 vs. the spread this season. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Wildcats have an ATS record of 5-5. On the road, Kentucky is 4-3 vs. the spread this year and their ATS mark on the road over their last 10 games is 6-4.
The over/under record for Kentucky this season is 17-5 and today’s line of 168 is higher than the average OU line in their games (156). So far, 20 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. However, over their last three games, the average scoring total is 188 points and their OU record over their last 10 games is 8-2.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs Are Coming Off A Win
After a win over Portland, Gonzaga will look to continue their strong play at home, where they have gone 11-4 this season. Over their last 10 games at home, the Bulldogs have a record of 7-3.
On the season, Gonzaga is 17-6, including a record of 8-2 in West Coast Conference play. As the underdog, the Bulldogs are 0-2 this year.
As the underdog this season, Gonzaga has an ATS record of 0-2 and they are just 4-6 vs. the spread in their last 10 games as the underdog. Overall, their ATS record this year is 10-12. At home, the Bulldogs are 7-8 vs. the spread this season and they have gone 2-1 ATS in their last 3 home games.
Gonzaga’s over/under record for the season is 9-13 and the average scoring total in their games is 151.1 points. Today’s over/under line of 168 is higher than the average OU line in their games this season (153.6). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 145 points and their over/under record during that span is 0-3.
Kentucky Offense Breakdown
The Kentucky offense is coming off a game where they scored 109 points against Vanderbilt. They posted a field goal percentage of 55.4% and connected on 15 threes. On the offensive front, the Wildcats have a season-long field goal percentage of 49%, ranking 32nd nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 24th in terms of percentage and 13th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Reeves (G) | 19.7 | 4.3 | 1.7 |
| Rob Dillingham (G) | 15.5 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
| Reed Sheppard (G) | 12.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
Gonzaga Offense Breakdown
Gonzaga is fresh off a strong offensive showing, putting up 96 points versus Portland. This output is higher than their season-average of 84.7 points per game. Leading the team in scoring is Graham Ike, who is averaging 15 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Anton Watson also maintains a PPG average of 14.8 heading into game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Ike (F) | 15.0 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
| Anton Watson (F) | 14.8 | 7.6 | 2.7 |
| Nolan Hickman (G) | 13.0 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
Kentucky Team Defense
So far, the Wildcats’ defense is ranked 297th in the country at 78.3 points per contest. Kentucky’s three-point defense is currently 225th in the country at 8.9 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 42.0% of their shots vs. Kentucky.
Gonzaga Team Defense
At present, the Bulldogs’ defense is nationally ranked 72nd, allowing 67.6 points per game. Against Portland in their most recent game, the Gonzaga defense gave up a total of 64 points while allowing Portland to hit 55% of their shots.
Wildcats vs Bulldogs Trends
- Across their three previous road games, Kentucky has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-1 while averaging 78 points per game.
- When looking at their past three matchups at home, Gonzaga has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 91 per game. The team went 3-0 overall in these games.
- Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Bulldogs have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-3.
- In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 7-3 and an ATS mark of 5-5.
Wildcats vs Bulldogs Prediction
Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +3.5, the Bulldogs is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 168, and our model predicts the Wildcats and Bulldogs to score a combined 145 points. We recommend betting on the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 10, 2024 Gonzaga Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats