The top two prospects for next year's NBA Draft collide on Friday when Chet Holmgren and the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs face Paulo Banchero and the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Holmgren, a 7-foot freshman from Minneapolis, leads the West Coast Conference and ranks sixth in the country in field goal percentage (71.4). Meanwhile Banchero, a 6-foot-10 freshman from Seattle, leads the Blue Devils in scoring (17.8 points per game) and rebounding (8.0 rebounds per game). Several NBA Draft analysts currently have them going 1-2 in April's draft.
Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs are favored by 7.5 points in the latest Gonzaga vs. Duke odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over/Under for total points scored is 154.5. Before locking in any Duke vs. Gonzaga picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Duke vs. Gonzaga and revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of the model's college basketball picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Gonzaga vs. Duke:
- Gonzaga vs. Duke spread: Bulldogs -9
- Gonzaga vs. Duke over-under: 154 points
- Gonzaga vs. Duke money line: Gonzaga -340, Duke +270
- GON: Bulldogs lead the country in field-goal percentage (55.6).
- DUKE: Blue Devils rank fourth in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (2.13).
Why Gonzaga can cover
No team arguably has played better so far this season than Gonzaga. On Nov. 13 the Bulldogs took out No. 5 Texas 86-74. And on Tuesday, they blitzed No. 2 UCLA 83-63 in a game that was never in doubt. So far this season the team is shooting 55.6 percent from the field, which leads the country.
In addition, Gonzaga's lineup features perhaps the best player in the nation in junior forward Drew Timme. Widely considered the favorite to win the Wooden Award (which goes to the national player of the year), Timme averaged 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds and shot 65.5 percent from the field last season. So far this season he is averaging 18.7 points a game despite playing just 26 minutes per game. He also is shooting 64.2 percent from the field.
Why Duke can cover
Duke has done an excellent job of sharing and taking care of the ball. The Blue Devils lead the ACC and rank 18th in the country in assists per game (18.8). They also lead the conference and rank sixth in the nation in turnovers per game (8.8). The team's assist-turnover ratio is 2.13, which is fourth best in Div. I.
In addition, Duke has won the battle at the free throw line. The Blue Devils have made 29 more free throws than their opponents have attempted this season (76-47). Duke is committing 12.3 fouls per game, which is the fewest in the ACC and sixth fewest nationally.
How to make Duke vs. Gonzaga picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 160 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the model's Gonzaga vs. Duke picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Duke vs. Gonzaga? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.