Hi there, it’s Rodd from Tony’s Picks, coming at you with the Long Beach State vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs game here on Wednesday, November 20th, 2024.
Just before we get into that college hoops action, I want to say, hey, if you’re new to Tony’s Picks, welcome aboard! Glad to have you. Make sure you subscribe and give us a thumbs up—it’s greatly appreciated.
Looking for my top play in college hoops? Hit the link in the description. It’ll take you right to my page at Tonyspicks.com, where you can see how we’re doing—crushing the books in college basketball to start the season. So head on over and see what I’ve got going across the books this Wednesday. Let’s keep that hot streak going to kick off the season!
Gonzaga vs. Long Beach Team Analysis
All right, let’s get into this action. One of my favorite teams, Gonzaga, as you know, is taking on Long Beach, another team we usually like to bet on. Not this season, though. I think Long Beach might be a fade this year. They’re starting a rebuilding process.
Chris Ayer is the new coach at Long Beach, and he’s got no returning players. It’s a fresh start for him there, but they’re off to a rough beginning—a 1-3 start on the season, straight up, and 1-2 against the spread. They’ve been struggling mightily on the road.
Looking at their road performance, they’ve been giving up a 55.5% field goal percentage and allowing 82 points per game in two contests. That doesn’t spell good news for Long Beach as they head into Gonzaga territory.
Gonzaga, on the other hand, is at home and averaging a 52.2% field goal rate, scoring 100 points per game in their two home contests. They’re 2-0 straight up at home and 2-0 on the over/under. I fully expect Gonzaga to easily put up 100 points on Long Beach in this one. This could get ugly real fast.
Prediction: Gonzaga to Dominate
The line opened at minus 34, and for good reason. I’ve got the Zags winning this by 40-plus. If you’re giving up a 55.5% field goal percentage to a team like Gonzaga, which is this offensively strong, it’s not going to end well. Gonzaga returns four starters from last season, and their bench is deep. They’ve got at least four double-digit contributors in minutes and scoring coming off the bench.
When the starters rest, the backup crew steps in—and calling them a backup crew is a stretch, as they could start for many college basketball teams this season. Gonzaga’s depth is impressive, and it’s going to show here as the Bulldogs run Long Beach right out of the gym and win by 40-plus. Lay it with the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Wednesday.
Thanks, everybody, for tuning in. I appreciate each and every one of you. Have yourself a wonderful Wednesday, and I’ll catch you on the next one!