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Chris Meaney
The 2022-23 college basketball season is finally here, and we get some juicy matchups to start the nonconference schedule. Below is my favorite bet Friday’s slate. Let’s have some fun.
Gonzaga vs. Michigan State
(Gonzaga -11, DraftKings Sportsbook)
I’m actually higher on Sparty then most outlets, but a matchup with the Zags right out of the gate is a tough one for the green and white. Michigan State’s interior defense has been a huge concern coming into the year and highlighted by multiple beat writers close to the program after their preseason scrimmages. Losing Marcus Bingham and Julius Marble from a year ago doesn’t help, and now Sparty is tasked with slowing down All-World and Wooden Award favorite, the Moustache man himself Drew Timme. Good Luck.
On the other side of the ball, the way to beat Gonzaga is through the creation of mismatches on the perimeter through ball screens and attacking the slow footed bigs at the rim (see 2021 Baylor and 2022 Arkansas). Although Gonzaga’s interior defense will suffer a bit this year after the loss of Chet Holmgren, I do see their perimeter defense improving with ballhawks Strawther, Sallis, Bolton and Smith lurking. AJ Hoggard should have some success in the PnR tonight but I’m not confident Sparty will attack the Gonzaga defense enough to make them uncomfortable and will settle for too many jumpshots (Michigan State had the 30th lowest rim rate offense nationally a year ago). Unless Hoggard has a ceiling game and the myths about the inability to shoot on the aircraft carrier are true, I see the Zags running away with this one in the second half with their relentless transition attack. I’ll take the Zags by double digits.
The Pick: Gonzaga -11
