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We have an intriguing West Coast Conference matchup on Thursday night as the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Pepperdine Waves face off inside of Firestone Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs (11-5, 2-1) are looking to bounce back after a 77-76 road loss against the Santa Clara Broncos last Thursday. The Waves (9-10, 2-2) so far and are riding a two-game winning streak after an 83-77 road win on Saturday against the San Diego Toreros.
Gonzaga vs Pepperdine betting odds
Gonzaga vs Pepperdine match details
Fixture: Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Pepperdine Waves
Date and Time: Thursday, Jan. 18, 10 p.m. ET
Venue: Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California
Gonzaga vs Pepperdine key stats
The Bulldogs' offense has been doing extremely well as they have scored 84.3 points per game on an unbelievable 49.7% shooting from the field. Senior forward Anton Watson has led the way for the program. In 29.9 minutes, he averages 14.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.5 blocks and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 40.7 percent from beyond the arc throughout the season.
The Gonzaga defense has been holding their own, allowing 68.8 points per game. Currently, they are recording 3.8 blocks and 7.6 steals per game.
The Pepperdine Waves are averaging 73.3 points and shooting 45.3% from the field. Junior guard Michael Ajayi has averaged 18.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.5 blocks and 0.9 steals in 33.6 minutes per game. He has been on fire offensively with a 47.8 shooting percentage and a 50.0 three-point percentage this year.
The Waves' defense has been holding its own, giving up 71.2 points per game to this point. They need to improve as they are recording 5.3 steals and 3.1 blocks per game.
Gonzaga vs Pepperdine: Best Picks and Prediction
These teams met two weeks ago in Gonzaga and the Bulldogs were able to absolutely dominate with a 26-point victory as the home team shot 56.1 percent from the floor. There are no injuries on either side from their last meeting, so why would there be a change in how the ending looks?
Gonzaga has been a decent defensive program so they should be able to lock in on Ajayi and force him to be a passer more than a scorer. Pepperdine does not have the talent to compete with one of the top teams in the nation so go with the Gonzaga Bulldogs to cover the spread on the road.
Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs -12.5 (-110)
