The No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (23-1, 9-0 WCC) will attempt to prolong their 15-game winning streak against the Loyola Marymount Lions (8-15, 2-7 WCC) at McCarthey Athletic Center. The game starts at 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 6, 2020, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Loyola Marymount Lions at Gonzaga Bulldogs Free Prediction
In the Lions’ last outing, they were defeated by the Pepperdine Waves, 68-67. Pepperdine’s turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Loyola Marymount. The Waves had a rate of 13.5 (better than their season average of 15.6), while the Lions posted a mark of 27.1 (above their season average of 18.2). Eli Scott was Loyola Marymount’s leading scorer with 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting.
The Bulldogs were victorious over the San Francisco Dons in their last outing, 83-79. One of Gonzaga’s largest advantages was getting to the free throw line. They had 32 free throw attempts, seven more than San Francisco. Filip Petrusev was the game’s top scorer with 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field.
The prolific offense of Gonzaga (first in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 121.3) will battle against the porous defense of Loyola Marymount (295th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 104.9). The Bulldogs figure to have the advantage on that end of the court.
This will be the second game of the season between these two squads. Scott led both teams with 20 points in the first game, in which the Lions lost 87-62. The Bulldogs had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (34.5 vs. 11.4) and had a better free throw rate (0.288 vs. 0.193).
Loyola Marymount Lions at Gonzaga Bulldogs ATS Pick
Prediction: ATS Winner – Loyola Marymount, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
Gonzaga ranks 49th in blocks per game (4.3) while Loyola Marymount ranks 198th (2.0).
The Lions’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 4.0, up from 2.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 91.6 points per game (3.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 66.6 points per game (0.6 below their season average).