The Loyola Marymount Lions have a tough task ahead of them, as they are set to play the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Spokane this coming Thursday. Do the Lions have what it takes to at least cover the spread?
Loyola Marymount got crushed by the Saint Mary’s Gaels last Saturday in an 83-51 home loss. The Lions were simply overmatched by a much more powerful opponent. They shot just 35.44 percent from the field and were -8 on rebounds. Loyola Marymount also picked up 13 turnovers. If they are to at least cover the spread against Gonzaga, the Lions need to cut down on unforced errors and maximize each possession. Loyola Marymount will heavily lean on Eli Scott and Joe Quintana to help them keep up on offense versus the Gonzaga juggernaut. Scott is averaging 16.6 points per game on 53.8 percent shooting from the field. He must be aching to get back on the floor and erase the bitter taste of his performance in the Saint Mary’s game out of his mouth. He only had five points in that game in 30 minutes of action.
Loyola Marymount is 5-1 against the spread in its last six games versus Gonzaga.
Gonzaga picked up another win as the Bulldogs dismantled the San Francisco Dons at home on Jan. 20. Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren came up big for the Bulldogs. Timme finished with 23 points, while Holmgren had 22 points. Gonzaga leaned on their big guys to compensate for the Bulldogs’ poor 5/18 shooting from deep. The Bulldogs aren’t really an elite 3-point shooting team this season, but they are the no. 1 team overall with a 60.0 effective field goal percentage. That’s mostly because Gonzaga is so good at dominating inside the arc. Timme and Holmgren are scoring machines and perfectly complement each other. On the season, Timme is averaging 18.8 points per game on 63.4 percent shooting from the field, while Holmgren, a future NBA lottery pick, is putting up 13.6 points with a 61.8 field goal percentage. Those two should wreak havoc against Loyola Marymount’s defense that is allowing 71.5 points per game.
The over is 3-1 in Gonzaga’s last four games at home.
