The third-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs will look to earn their third Final Four appearance when they battle the fourth-seeded Connecticut Huskies in a 2023 NCAA Tournament West Region Elite Eight matchup on Saturday in Las Vegas. The Bulldogs (31-5, 14-2 West Coast), who won the West Coast Tournament championship, are looking to win their first-ever national championship. The Huskies (28-8, 13-7 Big East), who tied for fourth in the Big East regular-season standings, are eyeing their fifth national title and first since 2014. UConn leads the all-time series 3-2.
The game from T-Mobile Arena will tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET. UConn is averaging 78.5 points per game, while Gonzaga averages 87.5. The Huskies are 2-point favorites in the latest UConn vs. Gonzaga odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 154. Before locking in any Gonzaga vs. UConn picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament 83-54 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,500 for $100 players. It also went 4-1 on top-rated picks during the first week of March Madness. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Gonzaga vs. UConn and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2023. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for UConn vs. Gonzaga:
- UConn vs. Gonzaga spread: UConn -2
- UConn vs. Gonzaga over/under: 154 points
- UConn vs. Gonzaga money line: UConn -145, Gonzaga +122
- UCONN: The Huskies are 8-1 against the spread in their last nine games overall
- GON: The over is 10-3 in the Bulldogs’ last 13 games overall
- UConn vs. Gonzaga picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Gonzaga can cover
Senior forward Anton Watson was a big reason the Bulldogs were able to rally past UCLA in Thursday’s Elite Eight win. He finished with eight points, nine rebounds and two assists. He has been solid this postseason. He scored nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds in an 84-81 second-round win over TCU. He also scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in an 82-70 victory over Grand Canyon in the first round. In 36 games, all starts, he is averaging 11.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.9 steals in 29.1 minutes of action.
Senior guard Rasir Bolton averages 10.5 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game. He scored 17 points and dished out three assists in Sunday’s second-round win over TCU. He is connecting on 44.3% of his field goals, including 39.2% from 3-point range, and 78.8% from the free-throw line. Bolton has reached double-figure scoring in 19 games.
Why UConn can cover
The Huskies are led by junior forward Adama Sanogo, who scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Thursday’s win over Arkansas. He has been red hot of late, scoring 24 points and grabbing eight boards in a 70-55 win over Saint Mary’s on Sunday. He registered a double-double in the first-round 87-63 win over Iona, scoring 28 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. In 36 games, all starts, Sanogo is averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.6 minutes of action.
Sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins has been dominant in the NCAA Tournament. He has reached double figures in all three tournament games, including a 24-point, three-assist and two-rebound performance against Arkansas. He has scored in double figures in four of the past five games and in 28 of 34 games, all starts. For the year, he is averaging 16.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.4 minutes.
How to make Gonzaga vs. UConn picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 157 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins UConn vs. Gonzaga? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
