Gonzaga vs Washington Odds, Pick for Saturday

On Tuesday night, Washington shot 52% from the field and cruised to a 85-61 victory over Montana State. With the win, the Huskies improved to 5-3 on the season. However, they'll have quite the step up in class on Saturday night when they host Gonzaga.

Gonzaga is also coming off a blowout victory, 111-71, over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Gonzaga improved its win streak to five and it's now 7-1 this season. Gonzaga is up to No. 7 in the AP Poll this week after climbing four spots.

This will be the 50th all-time meeting in this series, and Washington holds a 29-20 edge. However, Gonzaga has won seven straight and 14 of the last 15 meetings. The Bulldogs are a five-point favorite on the road on Saturday.

Dive in below for Gonzaga vs Washington odds and a pick for Saturday.

Tuesday's outing was Gonzaga's second 100-point performance this season, and it's no stranger to offensive outbursts. Gonzaga has ranked in the top-20 nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in each of the past seven seasons. This year, it ranks 12th and is 13th in scoring at 87.2 points per game.

It has five double-double digit scorers, led by senior forward Anton Watson's 14.8 points per game. Wyoming transfer forward Graham Ike is averaging 13.9 points per game and like Watson, he's averaging 8.1 rebounds a night. Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard (younger brother of Andrew) is averaging 12.2 points and 5.6 assists per game.

Nembhard hasn't shot the ball well this season (just 22.2% from 3), but the Zags have a ton of shooting around him. Watson, Ike, freshman forward Braden Huff and forward Ben Gregg are all shooting 40% or better from 3.

Ike, Huff and Gregg are all 6-foot-9 or taller, giving Gonzaga the ability to play five out. However, all three are also proficient around the rim.

Gonzaga is making 55% of its 2-point attempts and it's 11th in offensive rebounding percentage. It's averaging 14.4 offensive rebounds per game. It's also 33rd nationally in defensive rebounding percentage. Overall, Gonzaga is fourth nationally in rebounding (46.1 per game) and it's outrebounding its opponents by 15 per game.

Gonzaga doesn't block many shots or force many turnovers. However, the Bulldogs are still 19th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They're holding opponents to 45% on 2-point field goal attempts and below 30% on 3s. They're 22nd in effective field goal percentage defense.

Washington has been solid on both ends this season, ranking 61st in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 72nd in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency.

The Huskies are led by senior forward Keion Brooks Jr., who's averaging 20.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season. He ranks in the top five in the Pac-12 in both categories.

Kentucky transfer Sahvir Wheeler is averaging 16.1 points and 6.9 assists per game this season. Wheeler is second in the Pac-12 in assists per game, and teammate Paul Mulcahy is not far behind him at 6.1 assists per game (third).

Mulcahy has been a stat-sheet stuffer this season, as he's also averaging 8.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

Wheeler and Mulcahy have a few extra possessions to rack up assists because of the pace Washington is playing at. It has the 15th-shortest average possession length offensively and it's 47th in Adjusted Tempo.

Washington is also making 55.7% of its 2-point attempts, and having Brooks as an outlet certainly helps.

Washington is only shooting 32.2% from beyond the arc, and its struggles may continue in that area against the Zags. However, defensively, the Huskies are also holding opponents below 30% from 3. They're 36th in effective field goal percentage defense. Washington primarily plays a 2-3 zone, which can force opponents to work for open looks.

One area of concern is controlling the defensive glass. Washington ranks 270th in defensive rebounding percentage. Rebounding out of the zone defense can be an issue, especially against a team like Gonzaga.

Washington has struggled against Gonzaga lately, but it's not alone, as Gonzaga has dominated the Pac-12 in general. Gonzaga has won its last 16 games against Pac-12 opponents, most recently beating USC by 13 points last Saturday. Gonzaga has won 10 of those games by five points or more, including four against Washington.

I like Gonzaga to extend all of its streaks against Washington in this spot. This is a game that should feature a lot of points, as both teams like to play with pace. Gonzaga may be incentivized to run even more before Washington can set up its defense.

However, Gonzaga moves the ball well, led by Nembhard. The Bulldogs will create several open looks and they have the shooters to knock them down.

Additionally, Gonzaga will be able to dominate the glass on both ends. That combination of stops and potential second chances should lead to a victory.

Gonzaga is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings against Washington. I'm rolling with the Zags on the road here.

Pick: Gonzaga -5 (Play to -7.5)

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