- Gonzaga and San Francisco meet in the semifinals of the 2024 WCC Tournament on Monday night
- The Zags took both meetings with the Dons during the regular season
- See the Gonzaga vs San Francisco odds, player props, and predictions for March 11, 2024
The San Francisco Dons (23-9, 11-5 WCC, 2-0 neutral, 18-13 ATS) took care of business on Saturday night against Portland (72-51) to set up a third tilt with the #19 Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-6, 14-2 WCC, 3-1 neutral, 14-15 ATS) in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 pm PT/11:30 pm ET and Gonzaga is listed as a big favorite.
Gonzaga vs San Francisco Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | -8.5 (-115) | -425 | Over 149.5 (-105) |
| San Francisco Dons | +8.5 (-105) | +340 | Under 149.5 (-115) |
The Gonzaga vs San Francisco odds currently list the Zags as 8.5-point chalk and -425 betting favorites on the moneyline. The Dons come back at +340 to reach their first WCC Tournament final since 1998.
Odds as of March 11 at ESPN Bet. Claim the ESPN Bet North Carolina promo today!
Gonzaga, which has won four straight WCC Tournament titles and reached the final every edition since 1997, was listed as a #4 seed in the latest projected March Madness bracket. They are likely to rise a seed line if they’re able to win the WCC Tournament but would surely drop a line or two with a loss tonight.
Gonzaga Rides Eight-Game Win Streak into WCC Tournament
While the season as a hole hasn’t lived up to lofty Gonzaga standards, the Zags do enter the conference tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation. Mark Few’s group finished the regular season on an eight-game win streak, including a dominant 70-57 win at Saint Mary’s in the final game of the season, the Gaels’ only conference setback.
Point guard Ryan Nembhard was sensational in the win, with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting plus 10 assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Wyoming transfer Graham Ike, who led the Zags in both scoring and rebounding in the regular season (16.9 PPG, 7.3 APG), had a team-high 24 points.
Gonzaga also thumped the Dons in their second-last regular-season game, winning 86-68 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. A one-point game at the break (35-34 Gonzaga), the Bulldogs opened the second half on a 28-4 run with Ike once again scoring a game-high 26.
Continuing a concerning trend from recent seasons, Gonzaga’s three-point shooting has been borderline abysmal this year. The Zags connect at just a 31.7% clip from beyond the arc, 305th in the nation. Though Anton Watson (14.2 PPG) and Nolan Hickman (14.0 PPG) are hitting at 43.9% and 41%, respectively.
After starting the year rated fifth at KenPom, the Zags fell all the way to 29th after a loss to San Diego State on Dec. 29th, which dropped their win/loss record to just 9-4. But 15 wins in their final 17 games has lifted Gonzaga back to 15th at KenPom, which is actually seven spots higher than Saint Mary’s (22nd) and 55 better than San Francisco (70th).
San Francisco Breezes Past Portland
The Dons had a solid start to the season, opening the year 15-4 including a win over the Big Ten’s Minnesota Golden Gophers (76-58 home). But with all four of their games against Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s in the back half of their schedule, they only managed to go 7-5 down the stretch, including 0-4 against the WCC’s twin powers.
San Francisco entered the WCC Tournament on a two-game losing streak. After the blowout loss to Gonzaga at home, the Dons also fell 69-62 at Santa Clara.
Drawing Portland in the quarterfinals was a perfect recipe for ending the skid. San Francisco cruised to a 72-51 win over the Pilots, its third double-digit win over Portland this season. Leading scorer Jonathan Mogbo (14.5 PPG) had just nine points in the win but his eight rebounds helped the Dons finish +7 on the glass.
Marcus Williams (14.0 PPG) led the team with 16 points in the win.
Unlike during the Todd Golden era (which ended in 2022), when San Francisco played more of a run-and-gun style, Chris Gerlufsen’s Dons are a defense-first team. They currently sit 33rd in KenPom’s Defensive Efficiency rankings and play at the 183rd-fastest tempo in the country.
On offense, they live-and-die by the three. A staggering 49.2% of their shots from from beyond the arc (second-most out of all 362 DI teams) and they are connecting at a 36.4% clip (48th).
Gonzaga vs San Francisco Player Props
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Three-Pointers Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anton Watson (GON) | 12.5 (Ov -110 | Un -130) | 6.5 (Ov +105 | Un -145) | OFF | OFF |
| Graham Ike (GON) | 20.5 (Ov -130 | Un -110) | 8.5 (Ov -125 | Un -115) | OFF | OFF |
| Jonathan Mogbo (SF) | 12.5 (Ov -130 | Un -110) | 9.5 (Ov -115 | Un -125) | 2.5 (Ov -150 | Un +110) | OFF |
| Malik Thomas (SF) | 12.5 (Ov -105 | Un -135) | 2.5 (Ov +130 | Un -170) | OFF | 1.5 (Ov +110 | Un -150) |
| Marcus Williams (SF) | 13.5 (Ov -115 | Un -125) | 2.5 (Ov -135 | Un -105) | 3.5 (Ov -115 | Un -125) | 1.5 (Ov -155 | Un +115) |
| Nolan Hickman (GON) | 14.5 (Ov -125 | Un -115) | 2.5 (Ov -140 | Un -100) | 2.5 (Ov -145 | Un +105) | 2.5 (Ov +130 | Un -170) |
| Ryan Nembhard (GON) | 13.5 (Ov -120 | Un -120) | 4.5 (Ov +110 | Un -150) | 6.5 (Ov -195 | Un -135) | 1.5 (Ov +160 | Un -215) |
Player props as of March 11 at DraftKings. Click here to download the DraftKings app North Carolina.
The college basketball player props on Monday list Ike with a game-high point total of 20.5, nearly four points over his season average. None of the Dons are over 13.5.
Gonzaga vs San Francisco Prediction
The Zags were the #5 team in the preseason KenPom ratings because there is a ton of talent on this roster. With multiple transfers (to win, Ike and Nembhard) playing crucial roles, it took the team some time to coalesce. But coalesce they have, and now is an unenviable time to be facing the Bulldogs.
With Orleans Arena likely to be heavily biased towards the Zags, expect another result similar to the Feb. 29th game.
Gonzaga vs San Francisco picks: Gonzaga -8.5 (-110) – two units
Sascha Paruk’s 2023-24 NCAAM betting record:
- ATS: 16-18 (-3.48 units)
- Moneyline: 2-9 (-9.48 units)
- Over/Under: 0-1 (-1.00 units)
- Player props: 2-2 (+0.78 units)
The West Coast Conference (WCC) Tournament Semifinal is set to be an exciting matchup between the San Francisco Dons and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Both teams have had successful seasons so far, with San Francisco boasting a 21-10 record and Gonzaga sitting at an impressive 26-3.
When it comes to the odds for this game, Gonzaga is the clear favorite. The Bulldogs have been dominant all season long, with their only losses coming against top-ranked teams like Baylor and Alabama. San Francisco, on the other hand, has had a solid season but has struggled against top competition.
In terms of props for this game, there are a few key factors to consider. Gonzaga’s high-powered offense, led by stars like Drew Timme and Jalen Suggs, will likely be a major factor in this game. San Francisco will need to find a way to slow down the Bulldogs’ scoring if they want to have a chance at pulling off the upset.
On the other side of the ball, San Francisco will need a strong performance from their leading scorer Jamaree Bouyea if they want to keep pace with Gonzaga. The Dons will also need to limit turnovers and play strong defense in order to stay competitive in this game.
As for a prediction, it’s hard to bet against Gonzaga in this matchup. The Bulldogs have been one of the best teams in the country all season long and have shown no signs of slowing down. While San Francisco is a solid team, they will likely struggle to keep up with Gonzaga’s high-powered offense.
Overall, the odds are in favor of Gonzaga in this WCC Tournament Semifinal matchup. However, anything can happen in college basketball, so fans can expect an exciting and competitive game between these two talented teams.
