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College Basketball Picks & Predictions: San Francisco vs. Gonzaga (Thursday)

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The cream is starting to rise to the top in the SEC, and those teams comprise many on the short list of National Championship contenders. This week alone, the top three teams in the AP Top 25 Men’s College Basketball Poll (Auburn, Alabama, Florida) all easily won conference road games by 12+ points. And while No. 5-ranked Tennessee lost by 11 at Rupp Arena, it was to a Kentucky team that has Final Four aspirations of its own.

There are no SEC games on Thursday’s loaded college basketball slate, so we focus our attention on the most significant power conference game out of the Big Ten, as well as more under-the-radar games from the WCC and CAA.

Continue reading for a detailed breakdown of our college basketball best bets and top picks for Thursday, February 13th’s game San Francisco vs. Gonzaga.

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    Thursday's Best College Basketball Bets: San Francisco vs. Gonzaga

    (Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

    San Francisco (+14.5) @ Gonzaga (-14.5) | O/U 153.5 (-108/-112) 

    This is the only one of our three picks that is not a rematch of a game played earlier this season, as these two teams do not meet again until the regular season finale on March 1st in San Francisco.
    We have gotten so accustomed to Gonzaga dominating WCC play over the last couple of decades that it seems unfathomable for it to have three league losses in mid-February. However, the Bulldogs still rank eighth or better nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, turnover percentage and free throw percentage.
    While San Francisco defends the three-point line at the best rate in league play (25.1% allowed), the Bulldogs are not overly reliant on perimeter shooting, as they get just 25.8% of their points (11th-fewest in conference play) from beyond the arc.
    With this being the first matchup of the season between these teams, I am siding with the more talented Bulldogs, who are due positive regression after covering in just three out of 12 league games thus far.

    Pick: Gonzaga -14.5 (-105)

    Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:

    Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.

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