NCAA College Basketball Free Pick – Idaho at Gonzaga

The Idaho Vandals, (1-1, 0-1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/U) were routed on Sunday, losing 100-62 to Michigan State.

The ninth-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, (1-0, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) cruised to victory in beating Montana State-Billings 83-52 in their season-opening rout on Saturday.

Both teams will be looking for a victory tonight when they meet at McCarthey Athletic Center tonight.

Idaho got 13 points from junior guard Mac Hopson, a Washington State transfer who shot 6-for-12 from the field and handed out five assists. The Vandals also got 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 6-6 freshman forward Brandon Wiley but allowed two Michigan State Spartans to score 21 points apiece in the loss.

Idaho will face its second straight ranked opponent in this matchup.

"We did some good things, however those good things only came in spurts," said Idaho coach Don Verlin, whose team opened with a 91-69 victory over Evergreen State on Friday. "We are all such competitors and we didn't feel we played as well as we should have."

Gonzaga rolled to victory as it s big men dominated the low post. 6-10 sophomore forward Austin Daye scored 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting while 6-11 fellow frontcourt mate and senior Josh Heytvelt also added 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field.

The pair also combined for seven blocks.

"When you see them every day, you don't always notice it," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "Austin looked strong and he did some of the things we need him to do inside. Josh is the healthiest he's been since he was a sophomore. It's good to see him come back strong."

Here is a look at the key trends for each team, followed by my in-depth analysis and NCAAB Free Picks.

The Vandals are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a SU loss of more than 20 points.

The Vandals are 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

The Bulldogs are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.

The Under is 4-0 in Vandals last 4 Tuesday games.

The Over is 4-1 in Bulldogs last 5 overall.

NCAAB Odds

Idaho +28 -110

Gonzaga -28 -110

Analysis: After suffering a 38-point loss in their last game, one would believe the Vandals may not be able to sink any lower, which is why I like them to cover the spread against Gonzaga tonight. Expecting any team to win by 30 points is a bit much and I don’t think the Bulldogs play at a fast enough tempo to really pile the points on against Idaho.

Take the Vandals to cover the spread with a bit of room to spare.

NCAAB Free Picks: Idaho +28 Points