Along with a busy NFL Sunday and the opening match of the 2022 World Cup, today features a few notable college basketball matchups, headlined by Kentucky vs Gonzaga at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington.
While this is a matchup of two of the current top four teams in the country, both the Bulldogs and Wildcats won’t maintain those rankings no matter what happens in their highly anticipated matchup after losing during the week.
Kentucky went down to unranked Michigan State in double overtime at the Champions Classic in Indianapolis on Tuesday, while Gonzaga suffered a rare blowout at the hands of Texas in Austin on Wednesday.
Can the Wildcats overcome a tough environment to pick up a huge win in Spokane? Read on for my take on the matchup, including my Kentucky vs Gonzaga prediction and picks.
Kentucky Wildcats vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Matchup Information and Betting Odds
Matchup Information
- Matchup: #4 Kentucky Wildcats (3-1) vs Gonzaga Bulldogs (2-1)
- Venue & Location: Spokane Arena (Spokane, Washington)
- Date: Sunday, November 20, 2022
- Game Time: 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm local time)
- How to Watch Kentucky vs Gonzaga: ESPN
Kentucky vs Gonzaga Odds
Game odds are via BetOnline as of Sunday, November 20, 2022, at 1:40 pm ET. Odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites may also be included in this article.
Spread
- Kentucky +3.5 (-105)
- Gonzaga -3.5 (-115)
Over/Under
- Over 155.5 (-110)
- Under 155.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Kentucky +152
- Gonzaga -184
Can Gonzaga’s Formidable Record Remain Intact?
January 18, 2018.
Gonzaga hasn’t lost a game in Spokane since that day, when they fell 74-71 to West Coast Conference rival St. Mary’s.
Teams the caliber of this Kentucky team don’t visit Spokane often, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that the Wildcats are certainly up against it.
It’s rare to see Gonzaga be handled like they were by Texas in Wednesday’s 93-74 loss. The Bulldogs started fast and led 10-3 inside the first four minutes, but it was an uphill battle the rest of the way once the Longhorns got going.
But this is a program that has not lost back-to-back games since losses to Tennessee and North Carolina in December 2018, and you have to go back to February 2014, when they lost at BYU and San Diego, for the instance before that.
What does Kentucky have to go to leave Spokane with a win? Well, firstly, Oscar Tshiebwe needs to avoid foul trouble, which he didn’t in his season debut against Michigan State.
And along with a dominant, foul trouble-free performance for Tshiebwe, the Wildcats need to shoot much better than they did against Michigan State.
In their first two games against Howard and Duquesne, Kentucky made a combined 22 of 43 (51.2 percent) from three. But against Michigan State, they made just 7 of 25 (28 percent) from downtown.
In Thursday’s 106-63 win over South Carolina State, they bounced back a bit by making 10 of 24 (41.7 percent). Antonio Reeves and CJ Fredrick, who were a combined 2 of 9 from three and 3 of 14 from the field overall against the Spartans, each made three triples in seven attempts against South Carolina State.
Kentucky Wildcats vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Prediction and Picks
Kentucky vs Gonzaga Prediction: Gonzaga to win
Kentucky vs Gonzaga Picks: Gonzaga to cover (Best Value: -3.5 @ -115 at BetOnline) & Kentucky/Gonzaga over (Best Value: over 155.5 @ -110 at BetOnline, BetUS & BetMGM)
Gonzaga didn’t have an answer for Texas in Austin, but Spokane is another thing altogether.
This isn’t to say that I didn’t put any serious deliberations into which way to go with my Kentucky vs Gonzaga prediction, because the Wildcats are no slouches even though they couldn’t close the deal against Michigan State.
But 9.8 times out of 10, I’m going to back Gonzaga to get the win on their home turf, and that is the direction I am going here.
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