Pepperdine vs Gonzaga Prediction 12-30-24 College Basketball Picks
Gonzaga (9-4) vs. Pepperdine (6-8)
December 30, 2024 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Pepperdine +20.5; Over/Under: +156.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Pepperdine Waves meet Monday in college basketball action from Firestone Fieldhouse. Here’s a Pepperdine vs Gonzaga prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Pepperdine vs Gonzaga pick.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Preview
Gonzaga opened the season with a nice five-game win streak, then hit a rough 2-3 patch. Those losses came versus West Virginia, Kentucky, and UConn. Afterward came wins over Nicholls and Bucknell in the next pair, though.
On Saturday versus UCLA, the Bulldogs fought to a 27-25 halftime deficit. Gonzaga hit a 38-37 deficit from there and took a tough loss in the end 65-62. Leading team scorer Graham Ike finished with 24 points and eight rebounds.
Pepperdine Waves Betting Preview
Over on the Pepperdine side, they skidded to a 2-6 start with losses to UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UNLV, Northwestern, and Weber State. The Waves would beat Life Pacific, Grambling, Northern Arizona, and UC Davis in the next five outings.
In their game versus Santa Clara on Saturday, the Waves were down 52-43 by the break. Pepperdine didn’t end up closing the gap on a 39-37 deficit from there and fell 91-80. Tops in scoring was Stefan Todorovic with 25 points and four assists.
Why the Pepperdine Waves will win
- The home team has won five of Pepperdine’s last six games.
- Pepperdine has won the first half in six of its last seven games at Firestone Fieldhouse.
Why the Gonzaga Bulldogs will win
- Gonzaga has won each of its last 13 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Pepperdine has lost each of its last seven Monday games against the West Coast Conference.
- Gonzaga has won the first half in each of its last 15 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Pepperdine vs Gonzaga Prediction
I’ll lean toward Gonzaga, even with a pretty thick line. The Bulldogs are coming off a disappointing outing versus a good UCLA squad despite shooting a solid 45.5 percent from the field and holding the Bruins to 36.4 percent on the other side. The loss stemmed from Gonzaga only getting to the line eight times (making five) and coughing up 15 turnovers for 18 UCLA points. The Bulldogs have now lost three straight versus ranked squads, but they’re still excelling lately against teams they should beat on paper. That’ll be the case here.
As for Pepperdine, they gave up 50.7 percent shooting in their loss to Santa Clara and gave up 11 turnovers for 21 Broncos points. The Waves have scored well lately with 76 or more points in six straight games. That said, I don’t think Pepperdine will find much daylight against an angry Gonzaga team out to prove themselves after a tough loss.
