A top-25 matchup between the Gonzaga Bulldogs (9-3) and the UCLA Bruins (10-2) headlines a Saturday chock-full of intriguing matchups across the college basketball world.
The pair of West Coast supremacies are set to meet on a neutral site court for the fifth consecutive season in a row when they square off from the newly built Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET on Fox and will be followed by San Diego vs. Grand Canyon in the second game of the 2024 West Coast Hoops Showdown.
The Zags have come out victorious in the four previous head-to-head meetings, including a 69-65 final in the Maui Invitational last season. Mark Few and company returned seven players who logged minutes in that game; Mick Cronin, meanwhile, retooled his roster by bringing in four new starters this offseason via the transfer portal.
Oregon State transfer Tyler Bilodeau headlines the group of newcomers. The 6-foot-9 junior from Kennewick, Washington, has put up a team-high 15.1 points per game through 12 contests this season. Bilodeau is coming off a career-high 26 points he recorded during UCLA’s 76-74 loss to North Carolina on Dec. 21.
The Bruins squandered a 16-point lead to the Tar Heels in a second-half collapse from Madison Square Garden. The defeat snapped a 9-game winning streak for Cronin and company. In that stretch, the Bruins picked up notable victories over Washington (69-58), at Oregon (73-71) and against Arizona (57-54) over an 11-day span.
Gonzaga enters the matchup boasting a handful of impressive wins over Baylor, Arizona State, San Diego State and Indiana in nonconference play. A fifth-straight victory over UCLA on Saturday would certainly be a big boost for the Zags’ postseason resume, which currently features a 2-3 record in Quad 1 games. Gonzaga has lost its last three games against Quad 1 foes, two of which occurred in back-to-back weeks to Kentucky and UConn on neutral site courts.
The Bulldogs got back on track against Nicholls (102-72) and Bucknell (86-65) last week before heading off into the holiday break with the Bruins game on the horizon. The frontcourt was dominant in both blowouts, as Graham Ike recorded consecutive 20-point performances — including a 25 and 10 game in the win over the Bison — while Braden Huff paced the team with 25 points in the victory over the Colonels.
Ike (15.5 points) and Huff (12.7 points) are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on the Zags in scoring. Four other players put up double-figures in scoring for Gonzaga, which ranks No. 1 in the country in points per game (89.2) and top five in offensive efficiency.
On the other side, UCLA is top 10 in scoring defense and adjusted efficiency while also forcing a nationwide-best 18.4 turnovers per game.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Gonzaga vs. Bucknell Betting Odds, TV Channel
Spread: Gonzaga -4.5 (-102)
Over/Under: 148.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Gonzaga -184 (UCLA +152)
ATS: Gonzaga (6-6) Bucknell (8-4)
Game time: Saturday, Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET
TV Channel: Fox
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