Gonzaga v. Western Kentucky NCAA Basketball Betting
Written March 21, 2009 by Jack Jones
Can Cinderella find her slippers once again? That’s the question that the fans of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball program have to be asking themselves after pulling off yet another upset as a 12-seed over a five on Thursday. This time it was Illinois that took the fall as WKU ended up on top 76-72 despite being five-point underdogs in the game. Sergio Kerusch and AJ Slaughter both put up 14 points to help seal the win.
Gonzaga had a little trouble against Akron in the first round, but you couldn’t tell by the final score of 77-64 which made the game seem more out of reach than it really was. Josh Heytvelt was key to the Bulldog victory as he piling in 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds.
The tall senior Heytvelt should be important in this game as well, as his size gives him an advantage over the shorter Western Kentucky team. His frontcourt mates in Micah Downs and Austin Daye will also have to look to take advantage of their height to help Gonzaga advance to the Sweet 16.
If Western Kentucky wants to make a return trip to the Sweet 16 they are going to have to try to pick up the pace and also continue to hit the three-point shot. This team is fairly balanced with Slaughter, Pettigrew, Kerusch, and Medez-Valdez all in double figures in scoring.
With the NCAA basketball odds on this game showing Gonzaga as 11-point favorites, not many are giving Western Kentucky a shot at hanging around with the Zags. However, most of the experts on our site are suggesting that you take the points, even though you might want to read the analysis that comes with their NCAA basketball picks to find out the details why. Personally, I don’t think there is much of a chance of an upset here as I think Gonzaga is a very-underrated team. I like their size and feel like even their guards are quicker than what the Hilltoppers have out there. I would be surprised if you see another Cinderella story here as you’ll more than likely find Gonzaga winning in blowout fashion.
Some interesting college basketball betting trends that may help you decide the winner are how Western Kentucky has covered in five straight tournament games and in their last four games as an underdog. The Hilltoppers are also 20-7 ATS against teams with a winning record and 20-8 ATS when playing on a neutral court. Gonzaga on the other hand is just 1-5 in their last six tournament games and 4-10 ATS their last 14 tries against teams with a winning record.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
- Western Kentucky vs Illinois: NCAA Tournament Predictions
- Gonzaga Odds to Win the NCAA Tournament
- 2009 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers NCAA Football Predictions
- Gonzaga vs North Carolina: Sweet 16 Predictions
- Akron vs Gonzaga: NCAA Tournament Preview & Odds
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