Pepperdine Waves vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Prediction, 12/31/2022 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pepperdine Waves vs Gonzaga Bulldogs

Date: Saturday, December 31, 2022

Location: McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, WA

TV: Youtube TV

McCarthey Athletic Center is the location where the Gonzaga Bulldogs (10-3) will compete against the Pepperdine Waves (7-7) on Saturday.

The Pepperdine Waves played Iona and went home with a loss by a final score of 76-66 in their last game. In relation to fouls, the Waves walked away with 14 while Iona had 17 fouls. They converted 7 out of their 21 attempts from 3-point land. Iona shot 58.3% at the free throw line by converting 7 of 12 attempts. Furthermore, Iona pulled down 32 rebounds (8 offensive, 24 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Iona doled out 16 dimes and had 6 steals for the contest. With respect to defense, Pepperdine allowed 49.2% from the field on 31 of 63 shooting. They also recorded 13 assists in the matchup while creating 14 turnovers and earning 3 steals. In the matter of rebounding, they compiled a total of 34 with 9 of them being of the offensive sort. From the charity stripe, the Waves converted 13 of 21 shots for a percentage of 61.9%. Pepperdine finished the contest with a 38.7% field goal percentage (24 out of 62) and converted 5 of their 24 shots from 3-point land.

Maxwell Lewis is a player who came through in the game. He walked away with 23 points on 6 out of 17 shooting. He played 35 minutes played and also snagged 8 rebounds. He ended up shooting 35.3% from the field but had no assists when the game ended.

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Pepperdine comes into this game with a mark of 7-7 this season. They have an average of 77.9 pts per contest (78th in Division 1) while connecting on 46.6% from the field. The Waves are shooting 38.0% on shots beyond the perimeter (127 of 334) and 69.1% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Pepperdine is pulling in 38.3 rebounds per contest and has accumulated 215 dimes on the campaign, which ranks 27th in Division 1 in terms of passing. They lose possession via turnover 14.5 times per contest and as a team are committing 17.4 fouls every game.

When they are on the defensive end, the Waves are forcing their opponents into 12.4 turnovers per contest and they draw 17.2 fouls. They concede 31.9% on 3-point shots and they are ranked 304th in college basketball in points per game from their opponents (73.8). The Waves are allowing a FG percentage of 41.3% (373 of 903) and they concede 36.9 rebounds per contest as a unit. They are currently ranked 281st in college basketball in allowing assists to the opposition with 179 conceded on the season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Gonzaga Bulldogs got the win with a final of 85-75 against Montana. When it comes to rebounding, Gonzaga allowed Montana to collect 24 overall (5 offensive). They finished shooting 40.0% from distance by going 8 out of 20 and ended up going 11 of 16 from the free throw line (68.8%). The Bulldogs permitted Montana to bury 28 of their 56 tries from the floor which had them shooting 50.0% in the game. When the final whistle blew, the Bulldogs finished 27 out of 52 from the floor which gave them a rate of 51.9%. When it comes to shots from beyond the arc, Gonzaga made 5 out of 17 tries (29.4%). They were able to bury 26 of them for a percentage of 76.5%. Montana was called for 25 fouls for this contest which got the Bulldogs to the free throw line for a total of 34 tries. They also turned the ball over 9 times, while getting 3 steals for this game. The Bulldogs pulled down 22 defensive rebounds and 8 offensive boards totaling 30 for the matchup.

Drew Timme ended up being a factor for the Bulldogs in the game. He converted 12 out of 16 for this contest for a rate of 75.0%, and added 11 rebounds. He scored 32 points in his 37 minutes on the court and had 5 assists for the contest.

Gonzaga has a record of 10-3 this year. The Bulldogs are responsible for committing 17.2 fouls per game and they connect on 72.2% from the charity stripe. Their rate of earning assists is at 15.5 times per contest (74th in college basketball) and they turn the ball over 12.6 times per contest. Gonzaga has earned 1,072 pts on the season (82.5 per contest) and they average 38.0 rebounds per game. As an offensive unit, the Bulldogs are connecting on 50.1% from the field, which ranks them 16th in college basketball.

The Bulldogs on the defensive side of the court are 303rd in college basketball in points per game surrendered with 73.8. They are forcing 13.4 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 43.9% from the floor (249th in the nation). The Gonzaga defense surrenders 31.9% on 3-point attempts (99 of 310) and opponents are knocking down 74.4% of their foul shots. They have given up 12.2 assists and 31.7 rebounds per contest, which ranks them 158th and 60th in those categories.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Pepperdine

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