The Gonzaga Bulldogs don’t get tired of winning games. They will look to add to their win total when they host the Pepperdine Waves, who will be seeking a monumental upset victory. Check out our preview of this game below.
Pepperdine couldn’t wait to get back on the court and play basketball. The Waves have been parked since last year, as all of their three previously scheduled games were postponed due to COVID-19 issues. They last saw action on Dec. 23, which was when they lost to the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners at home, 79-51. At the very least, the Waves will have fresher legs than Gonzaga, though the question is will it even matter against a heavyweight opponent? In any case, Pepperdine will rely on the likes of Colby Ross and Kessler Edwards to lead the team. Ross paces the Waves with 19.0 points per game, while Edwards is averaging 17.2. Both players are deadly shooters from deep. Ross is hitting 36.0 percent of his 3-point shots. Edwards is sinking 41.5 percent of his. The senior Ross showed up to play in two games, albeit resulting in losses, last year against Gonzaga, averaging 23.5 points in those meetings. The Waves also lost by just a total of 17 points in those games against the Bulldogs last season. The Waves share the ball well. They are 18th in the nation with a .627 assist/field-goal made ratio.
Pepperdine is 4-1 against the spread in its last four games against Gonzaga.
The college basketball death machine that is Gonzaga continues to steamroll opponents on its way to likely another WCC title. The Bulldogs zoomed to their 12th win in a row to start the season by destroying the Portland Pilots, 116-88, on the road last Saturday. That’s the most points the Bulldogs have scored so far this season, but considering their talent, it’s not going to surprise many if they surpass that number in one of their coming games. They might even just do that this week against Pepperdine, which has one of the worst defenses in the nation. Pepperdine is 299th in the nation in scoring defense with opponents torching the Waves for 78.4 points per game. Pepperdine is unlikely to withstand Gonzaga’s offense that’s No. 1 in the nation. Gonzaga is averaging 96.1 points per game and also tops with a 55.6 field goal percentage. Gonzaga just shot 62.9 percent from the field against Portland, with Joel Ayayi stuffing the stat sheets with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists.
Gonzaga is 2-0-1 against the spread in its last three home games.
