Hawaii was hardly paradise for the two-time defending national champion Connecticut Huskies. UConn went 0-3 in the Maui Invitational, matching the number of losses it suffered all of last season. But the Huskies have righted the ship with two quality wins since, and have a chance at another Saturday when they face Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Zags opened as 4.5-point favorites in this game but money has come in on the Huskies settling the line at 2 while the OVER/UNDER is listed at 152 points at bet365.
Gonzaga vs Connecticut Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | -2 (-110) | -130 | O152 (-110) |
| Connecticut Huskies | +2 (-110) | +110 | U152 (-110) |
Odds as of December 14 at bet365
Gonzaga vs Connecticut Picks Tonight
Connecticut +2 (-110) + OVER 152 (-110) at bet365
What happened to UConn in Maui, where the Huskies lost three games to unranked teams to finish last in the eight-team event? In the first two losses, to Memphis and Colorado, they simply couldn’t hit shots late and dropped both games by a combined three points. Against Dayton, starting forward Alex Karaban hit his head on the floor and was taken to a hospital. He returned to post a double-double in the Dec. 9 victory at Texas.
So it’s not as if the sky is falling on the Huskies. Gonzaga has a concerning loss of its own, an 86-78 defeat in the Bahamas to 15-point underdog West Virginia, which out-rebounded the taller Bulldogs and shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half. The Zags also blew an 18-point lead to 6.5-point underdog Kentucky in Seattle, losing that game in overtime and once again getting beaten on the boards.
Neither squad is perfect, and both are capable of getting to the Final Four. Huskies fans refer to the Garden as “Storrs South” given how well-supported Connecticut is there, and Karaban’s 21 points and 11 boards at Texas look quite foreboding for a Gonzaga team that’s suddenly having issues defending in the paint.
While the likes of Tristan Newton and Cam Spencer may have moved on, Connecticut still has plenty of offensive punch—as it’s shown by going OVER in five of its past six games. It’s a similar story at Gonzaga, which has gone OVER in seven of nine. We’ll take those trends in a game that could turn into a track meet.
Gonzaga vs Connecticut Prop Bet Tonight
Alex Karaban OVER 5.5 Rebounds (+106) at FanDuel
UConn’s power forward returned from his head injury with a vengeance against Texas, snagging a season-high 11 boards. Gonzaga gave up nine rebounds to Kentucky forward Brandon Garrison, nine to Baylor’s Norchad Omier and eight to West Virginia’s Amani Hansberry, further evidence of a team that’s having issues boxing out under the rim.
Gonzaga vs Connecticut Betting Trends
- Connecticut is 1-0 ATS this season as an underdog.
- Gonzaga is 2-1 ATS this season against ranked opponents.
- Connecticut is 0-3 ATS this season at a neutral site.
