San Francisco vs. Gonzaga odds, props, predictions: Bulldogs host upstart Dons in critical WCC tilt

Gonzaga has owned the WCC for over a decade but finds itself a game back of first place in late January. Tonight's contest against San Francisco is important, as the Dons have a better record overall but share a 4-1 conference record with Gonzaga. The winner of tonight's matchup will stay within a game of first, and the loser will fall two back.

The Bulldogs had some tough losses in nonconference play but have been really good since hitting the WCC slate. They have won four of their last five and covered the spread in each of their four wins. Their high cover percentage since conference play started has improved their ATS record to 8-9.

The Dons have been solid since the start of conference play and were on a seven-game winning streak until they lost in their last contest against St. Mary's (60-77). San Francisco covered the spread in six of eight, bringing their season-long ATS record to 13-6. Their offense has been a big part of their strong play, hitting the OVER for total points in their last eight matchups.

Here is the San Francisco vs. Gonzaga betting news, player props and a betting prediction for tonight's WCC matchup. The game tips off at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.

Live odds for San Francisco vs. Gonzaga

Here are the spread, moneyline and total points live odds for San Francisco vs. Gonzaga at the best online sportsbooks.

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San Francisco Dons betting news

The Dons have the 39th-ranked defense for adjusted efficiency on Kenpom but have the 93rd-ranked offense for adjusted efficiency. Their defense has been consistent this season, and when their offense plays its best, they can compete with anyone on their schedule.

Their last matchup shows, that their offensive issues are not completely resolved, only scoring 60 points in their defeat to Saint Marys. Jonathan Mogbo has been the best player for San Francisco this season and is an old-school big in every sense, having not taken a three-point shot all season. Mogbo is one of 11 players in all of college basketball to average a double-double. 

He lives in the paint and does a lot of the dirty work for San Francisco. The Montana State transfer has taken his game to a new level as a Don, increasing his scoring average from 8.0 to 15.4 PPG and 7.0 to 10.5 RPG this season. He has also been crazy efficient, shooting 68% from the field, ranking first in the entire country for shooting percentage. The junior forward has been solid from the free throw line, shooting 74.1%, making any hack-a-Shaq methods unuseful.

The Dons have been able to depend on their frontcourt with Mogbo and his partner in the paint. Ndewedo Newbury is playing pretty solid, too. He averages 8.3 PPG, shoots 55.5% from the field and leads the team in blocks, averaging 1.3 per contest. The guards for San Francisco have decent scoring averages, but only one of the four seeing regular playing time shoots better than 50% from the field.

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Gonzaga Bulldogs betting news

The Bulldogs share a lot of similarities with the Dons' roster-wise, as their most efficient players and their leading scorers most nights come from their frontcourt. Anton Watson (14.8 PPG, 58.2%) and Graham Ike (14.6 PPG, 59.3%) are Gonzaga's leading scorers; each shoots better than 50% from the field. Gonzaga has only lost twice this season when the two score over their combined averages.

Gonzaga has played a more difficult schedule, ranking 61st on Kenpom for nonconference strength of schedule. That has helped their offensive and defensive rankings move into the top 35 in the country, ranking 25th for offensive adjusted efficiency and 31st for adjusted defensive efficiency. One area they may be able to take advantage of is the fast break. The Dons are 241st for pace of play, while the Bulldogs are 55th.

This game will come down to guard play because their backcourt does not score nearly as efficiently as their post players. The Bulldogs don't have a guard shooting better than 50% from the field and none over 40% from three. The one bright spot is Ryan Nembhard, who averages 12.5 PPG, and while he only shoots 42.9% from the field, he also averages 6.4 assists per game, 11th in the country.

San Francisco vs. Gonzaga player props at Caesars Sportsbook

Here are some of the top player prop markets for San Francisco vs. Gonzaga from Caesars Sportsbook.

Jonathan Mogbo player props

• 14.5 points OVER (-111) / UNDER (-131)
• 9.5 rebounds OVER (-119) / UNDER (-123)
• 2.5 assists OVER (-119) / UNDER (-123)

Malik Thomas player props

• 13.5 points OVER (-119) / UNDER (-123)
• 3.5 rebounds OVER (+111) / UNDER (-164)
• 1.5 assists OVER (+168) / UNDER (-258)

Marcus Williams player props

• 12.5 points OVER (-111) / UNDER (-131)
• 2.5 rebounds OVER (-183) / UNDER (+123)
• 3.5 assists OVER (-102) / UNDER (-143)

Graham Ike player props

• 14.5 points OVER (-125) / UNDER (-117)
• 7.5 rebounds OVER (-149) / UNDER (+102)

Anton Watson player props

• 10.5 points OVER (-135) / UNDER (-108)
• 8.5 rebounds OVER (-113) / UNDER (-129)
• 2.5 assists OVER (-102) / UNDER (-143)

Ryan Nembhard player props

• 10.5 points OVER (-119) / UNDER (-123)
• 4.5 rebounds OVER (+113) / UNDER (-167)
• 5.5 assists OVER (-158) / UNDER (+108)

San Francisco vs. Gonzaga prediction: Dons keep it close with Bulldogs

The spread is close to double digits in favor of Gonzaga in this matchup. The winner will come down to guard play, and both teams have been inconsistent in that area. That makes the winner tough to predict, but it is hard to imagine the Bulldogs beating the Dons by 10-plus. 

Pick: San Francisco