Are the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs prime for an upset? Mark Few’s boys have the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers in a neutral-site matchup this weekend during the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix. According to up to date NCAA basketball futures, the Bulldogs are +600 to win the national title, while Tennessee has odds of +2,000 to be the last team standing this season.
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Betting Preview for the Tennessee Volunteers vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs College Basketball Game on December 9, 2018
Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix Arizona
When: Sunday, December 9, 3:00 PM ET
Line: Tennessee Volunteers (odds) vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers (6-1 Overall / 0-0 Conference)
The Vols continue to trend positively again after taking a gut-wrenching 87-81 overtime loss to the Kansas Jayhawks on No. 24. Tennessee followed up that defeat with a 96-67 win over Eastern Kentucky Colonels. Now, Tennessee will get their second shot at winning against a ranked team, this time against the top-team in the nation. Tennessee’s chances of upsetting the Vols will mostly depend on how well the duo of Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield is going to perform. Both are experienced players who have time and time again proven themselves, especially on the offensive end of the floor. Williams lead the team with 20.4 points per game, while Schofield is right behind him with an average of 16.1 per contest. The two combined for 39 points in the loss to Kansas, and they should be able to find plenty of success against Gonzaga’s defense that is only 240th in the nation with 76.3 points allowed per game, so far this season. Conversely, the Vols’ defense is stout, ranking 12th in KenPom in adjusted defensive efficiency.
The under is 2-0 in the Vols’ last two games.
Betting on the Gonzaga Bulldogs (9-0)
Gonzaga kept its record unblemished by beating the Washington Huskies on Wednesday at home 81-79. As evidenced by the final score, it was a win that was far too close for comfort. The Bulldogs needed their best player in Rui Hachimura to deliver a clutch turnaround jumper just before regulation time expired to prevent them from suffering a stinging loss to an unranked Huskies team. Hachimura scored a team-high 26 points on 9-for-20 shooting from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Hachimura (21.9 points per game) will have a target on his back against Tennessee, but expect Zach Norvell to take away some of the Vols’ focus on the Japanese forward. Norvell is a bit overlooked and underappreciated this season, mostly because of Hachimura’s rise, but he an often be a prolific source of offense for the Bulldogs, who are No. 1 in the nation in both scoring (96.4 points per game) and shooting percentage (53.0 percent). Norvell is behind Hachimura on the team with 18.6 points per game, thus far this season.
Gonzaga is 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last five home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Gonzaga holds on to their undefeated record, defeating Tennessee 79-73.
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