Houston vs. Gonzaga Prediction, Odds & Tonight's Preview: NCAA Tournament Best Bets
The No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (31-4) meet the No. 8 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-8) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament tonight with tipoff from INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan., at 8:40 p.m. ET (CBS). The Bulldogs are seeking the upset to advance to the second weekend for the 10th straight time in our Houston vs. Gonzaga prediction, odds, and preview as part of our March Madness predictions.
The Cougars are 5.5-point betting favorites to advance in the Midwest Region of the March Madness bracket.
🏀 Houston vs. Gonzaga prediction & picks tonight
Here are my best Houston vs. Gonzaga predictions for the second round of the NCAA Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:
✅ Against the spread pick: Gonzaga +5.5 (-110 via BetMGM) vs. Houston ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Best player prop bet: Ryan Nembhard Under 8.5 assists (-145 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Gonzaga 74, Houston 71 (+32000 via FanDuel)
👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness second-round predictions.
🏆 Best Houston vs. Gonzaga pick, player prop bet & score prediction
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✅ Gonzaga to cover the spread: +5.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gonzaga has reached the Sweet 16 in nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments. To get to a 10th, it will come in upset fashion as the Bulldogs are underdogs against the top-seeded Cougars.
To get here, Gonzaga treated Georgia like it was a scrimmage opponent in the opening round, opening up a 27-3 lead out of the gates and finishing with a 21-point win. Houston will present more of a stylistic challenge for the Bulldogs, as the Cougars’ dictating tempo could frustrate a Gonzaga team that wants to play fast.
But in this clash of styles, Houston’s elite defense will have to contain one of the top-scoring offenses in the nation. Gonzaga hasn’t played a game as an underdog all season, and following their emphatic first-round showing, I don’t expect the Bulldogs to play like one on Saturday.
📊 Best odds: -110 via BetMGM ($10 to win $9.09)
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🔥 Ryan Nembhard Under 8.5 assists ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Although we’re looking for Gonzaga to put together the kind of offensive game that can potentially lead to the upset, the line for assists on the Bulldogs’ star point guard is a bit elevated against a Houston team that simply doesn’t permit many assists against its zone defense.
Nembhard’s line sits at 8.5 assists at bet365. Despite the extra juice with -145 odds, we still see value on this Under as Nembhard hasn’t yet cleared this line in the postseason, topping out with a high of 8 assists over his past three games.
📊 Best odds: -145 via bet365 ($10 to win $6.90)
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🎯 Exact score prediction: Gonzaga 74, Houston 71
Gonzaga won’t score to its typical standard in the 80s, not against the team with the top defensive efficiency and fifth-slowest adjusted tempo in the country. But the Zags can become one of only a few teams that has been able to push the Cougars into the 70s this season.
As one of KenPom’s top 10 teams in the country, the Bulldogs have the size and ability on offense to pull off this upset, which could have just as easily been a second-weekend matchup given Gonzaga’s metrics.
Houston hasn’t lost since Feb. 1, but Mark Few has guided his teams through these spots too many times to discount the Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend.
📊 Best odds: +32000 via FanDuel ($10 to win $3,200)
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🤖 Houston vs. Gonzaga AI prediction
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NCAA Tournament stats before predicting the winner and exact score for Houston vs. Gonzaga. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Houston 74, Gonzaga 70.
🖥️ AI score prediction: Houston 74, Gonzaga 70
- Defensive Prowess vs. Offensive Firepower: Houston boasts the nation's top defense, allowing just 58.0 points per game, while Gonzaga ranks second nationally in scoring, averaging 87.6 points per game
- Battle of the Guards: Gonzaga senior Ryan Nembhard has been instrumental in its offensive success; Houston's backcourt, known for its tenacious defense, will need to contain him
- Tournament Pedigree: Gonzaga has reached the Sweet 16 in nine consecutive tournaments; Houston is a No. 1 seed for the third straight year
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Gonzaga covering the spread (+5.5) and a total of Over 140.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that March Madness bettors might overlook.
📊 Live Houston vs. Gonzaga odds
Follow the latest live March Madness college basketball odds and real-time NCAA Tournament scores for the second round.
Live Houston vs. Gonzaga odds
Here are the latest Houston vs. Gonzaga odds via BetMGM ahead of tipoff:
Spread
Houston is a 5.5-point betting favorite. Though that number's held at the opening betting line, Gonzaga +5.5 is slightly juiced with -115 odds, so this line could move toward the Bulldogs.
Total
The Over/Under for Houston vs. Gonzaga is 140.5 points with equal -110 odds on either side.
Moneyline
Houston is a -225 moneyline favorite for the outright win. Those odds represent an implied win probability of 69%.
🔢 Houston vs. Gonzaga opening odds
- Spread: Houston -5.5 (-105) | Gonzaga +5.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Houston -225 | Gonzaga +185
- Over/Under: Over 140.5 (-105) | Under 140.5 (-115)
📺 How to watch Houston vs. Gonzaga: NCAA Tournament second round
📅 Date: Saturday, March 22
🕗 Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
📍 Location: INTRUST Bank Arena (Wichita, Kan.)
📺 TV: TNT
💻 Streaming: March Madness Live
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