KenPom Predicts BYU Basketball vs No. 2 Gonzaga
On Thursday night, the BYU men's basketball team takes on #2 Gonzaga in Spokane. BYU is 14-3 on the season and coming off a home victory over Saint Mary's. Gonzaga is 12-2 on the season and coming off a victory over Pepperdine in which they scored 117 points at home.
The game tips off at 9:00 PM MST and will be broadcast on ESPN2 - Dave Flemming and Jay Bilas will be on the call.
KenPom Predicts BYU vs #2 Gonzaga
Ken Pomeroy, the industry leader in college basketball predictive analytics, favors Gonzaga in this game. KenPom gives the Zags an 85% chance to win with an expected final score of 84-72.
KenPom is more optimistic about BYU's chances than ESPN and Las Vegas. ESPN gives BYU only an 8% chance to pull off the upset, and bettors favor Gonzaga by 14.5.
Metrics to Watch During the Game
According to KenPom, Gonzaga ranks second in the country in effective field goal percentage. Like usual, the Zags boast one of the best offenses in the country. This year, BYU's strength is on the defensive end of the floor - BYU comes into game ranked ninth in the country in effective field goal percentage allowed. If the Cougars are going to pull of the upset, they have to keep Gonzaga's high-powered offense at bay. The metrics suggest BYU has a chance to at least hold the Zags below their season average of 87.9 points per game.
On offense, BYU will have to consistently hit three-point shots. The Zags allow 42% shooting percentage inside the arc which ranks #6 in the country. If BYU is going to score enough to win the game, the Cougars have to shoot above their season average average from deep.
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