Gonzaga vs Kentucky Prediction, Odds and Picks - Feb. 10 | College Basketball Season 2023-24

NCAA Tournament implications will be in play when the Gonzaga Bulldogs travel to face the Kentucky Wildcats in a non-conference matchup on Saturday.

Gonzaga (17-6, 8-2 in West Coast Conference) hasn't been quite up to usual standards, with league losses at Santa Clara and at home to St. Mary's. Meanwhile, No. 17 Kentucky (16-6, 6-4 in SEC) has struggled defensively, with three losses in its last five games.

Mark Few's Gonzaga Bulldogs have likely played their way onto the NCAA Tournament bubble. Apart from their pre-conference losses to Purdue and UConn, the Bulldogs lost at Washington and in a home game against San Diego State.

Gonzaga is 12th in the nation in scoring (84.7 ppg) and have five scorers averaging 10.8 ppg or more, led by junior forward Graham Ike (15.0 ppg).

Kentucky has tumbled from No. 6 to No. 17 in two weeks, losing by 17 at South Carolina and then giving up 103 and 94 points in home losses to Tennessee and Florida.

Kentucky, who leads the nation in scoring (89.7 ppg) boasts a typically talented freshman class, with three newcomers scoring at least 12.0 points per game. Senior Antonio Reeves (19.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) leads UK.

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Kentucky vs. Gonzaga: Betting odds

Gonzaga coach Mark Few looks to nab a meaningful road win at Kentucky.

The Wildcats are a 5.5 point home favorite, but the money line is competitive, with Kentucky paying at -225 and Gonzaga at +190.

The over/under of 169.5 reflects an expectation of racehorse basketball.

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Kentucky vs. Gonzaga: Head-to-Head

The series between the two schools is 1-1. They met in the Maui Classic in 2002, with UK winning 80-72, and at Gonzaga in Nov. 2022, with the Bulldogs claiming an 88-72 victory.

The two teams have never played at the Rupp Arena.

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Kentucky vs. Gonzaga: Where to watch

The Kentucky/Gonzaga game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.

Brad Nessler will handle play-by-play, with Bill Raftery and Jay Wright providing analysis. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 pm EST/1 pm PST, and the game can be streamed on the CBSSports app.

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Kentucky vs. Gonzaga: Key Injuries

Kentucky

The Wildcats have not yet fielded their entire healthy roster this season.

Starting guard D.J. Wagner (ankle) and forward Tre Mitchell (back) are questionable. Wagner has missed Kentucky's last three games but is rumored to be more likely to play than Mitchell, who sat out the previous game.

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Kentucky vs. Gonzaga: Best picks and prediction

Kentucky's injury situation and recent defensive struggles do not bode well for their victory hopes.

Gonzaga has had an up-and-down season but could score enough to punish Kentucky, if the Wildcats do not defend well.

The key to the game will be whether Wagner can play for Kentucky, and how limited he would be. Based on early guesses that he plays, the pick is a Kentucky win but not cover the line.

Pick: Gonzaga (+5.5, to cover, but not to win)

Can Gonzaga take down Kentucky? Have the Zags done enough to be in the NCAA field? Weigh in below in our comments section.