Eight-seed Gonzaga and 1-seed Houston both remain in Wichita to face each other on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The game is at 8:40 PM ET on TNT. Can Houston cover the 5.5-point spread as neutral site favorites? Keep reading for our Gonzaga vs. Houston prediction.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are 26-8 straight up overall this year. They are 15-19 ATS this season.
The Houston Cougars are 31-4 straight up overall this year. They are 19-16 ATS this season.
Gonzaga vs. Houston Matchup & Betting Odds
823 Gonzaga Bulldogs (+5.5) vs. 824 Houston Cougars (-5.5); o/u 139.5
8:40 p.m. ET, Saturday, March 22, 2025
INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KS
TV: TNT
Gonzaga vs. Houston Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 50% of public bettors are currently backing Gonzaga when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Game Notes
Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle was tremendous in his team’s 89-68 first-round win over Georgia on Thursday. The Arkansas transfer put up 24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal in 30 minutes. Battle shot 9 of 13 from the field and 4 of 7 from beyond the arc in the victory.
Gonzaga guard Nolan Hickman also played well against Georgia on Thursday. The 6’2” senior from Seattle recorded 18 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 5 made three-pointers in 29 minutes. Hickman is third on the team in scoring with 11.2 points per game this season.
Houston Cougars Game Notes
Cougars guard Milos Uzan was excellent in his club’s 78-40 first-round win over SIU-Edwardsville on Thursday. The Oklahoma transfer logged 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 23 minutes. Uzan shot 6 of 7 from the field and 2 of 2 from long distance in the win.
Houston forward Ja’Vier Francis was electric off the bench in his team’s game on Thursday. In 15 minutes, the 6’8” senior registered 13 points, 8 rebounds, a steal, and 5 made free throws. Francis is third on the team in rebounding with 4.4 rebounds per contest this year.
Gonzaga vs. Houston CBB Betting Trends
Gonzaga is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
The Bulldogs are 6-3 ATS when playing on 1 or 0 days of rest this season.
Houston is 3-4 ATS in NCAA Tournament games since the start of the 2022 season.
Houston is 3-5 ATS in neutral-site games this season.
Gonzaga vs. Houston CBB Prediction:
Gonzaga can win this game. The Bulldogs are 12-2 straight up since January 25th, with both of their losses coming to St. Mary’s by a combined 11 points. It’s worth noting that the Zags avenged both of those losses in the West Coast Conference tournament championship game by defeating the Gaels 58-51.
The numbers illustrate why Gonzaga has a good chance of covering this game. The Bulldogs are the #8 team in the nation in adjusted efficiency margin according to Kenpom.com. What’s more, the Zags rank second nationally in offensive efficiency this season behind Duke. Additionally, the Bulldogs lead the country in field goal percentage, rank 10th in true shooting percentage, and are 21st in effective field goal percentage this season. Gonzaga has the #7 offense in the country according to Kenpom.com, and I think that proves to be the difference in this game. The pick is Gonzaga +5.5 points over Houston at Bovada.lv.