McNeese State (12) vs. Gonzaga (5) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The Bulldogs were forced to settle for the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region after dropping a 69-60 decision to St. Mary’s in last weekend’s West Coast Conference Tournament final, which also put the brakes on a nine-game win streak. The Cowboys return to the Big Dance for the first time in 22 years after rolling to a decisive 92-76 win over Nicholls in the Southland Tournament final, and have now claimed victory by double-digit margins eight times during an 11-game win streak.
The Bulldogs are pegged as 6.5-point favourites on the First Round odds. The Cowboys trail as +230 underdogs on the March Madness moneyline, and the total is listed at 149.5.
McNeese State vs. Gonzaga NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Thursday night’s matchup will be the first ever meeting between these schools. While the Cowboys vie for their first ever win in just their third appearance at the NCAA Tournament, the pressure will be on then Zags to extend the steady record of success they have had while advancing at least as far as the Sweet Sixteen in each of the past eight editions of March Madness including a pair of berths in the national championship game. Gonzaga has claimed victory by an average margin of 16.1 points during their epic 14-0 First Round run, but is just 4-6 ATS in their past 10.
The Cowboys have racked up a 25-1 SU record since Thanksgiving, but despite their dominance, they too have been betting disappointments, going 3-4 ATS in their past seven outings and are just 3-2 SU as underdogs this season.
McNeese State Cowboys (12)
The Cowboys have scored an average of 83.8 points over their past five games and 80.4 points per game on the season, but are ranked a distant 53rd in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom. Senior Shahada Wells led the club this season with 17.8 points and 4.8 assists per game and dropped 27 points in each of the team’s Southland Tournament wins. Christian Shumate averaged just 6.5 rebounds at the tourney, but has recorded double-doubles in six of his past 10 contests.
Gonzaga Bulldogs (5)
Senior Anton Watson was a steady producer at the WCC Tournament, well exceeding his season average while producing 17.5 points per game. However, things did not go so well for leading scorer Graham Ike, who scored just 10 points in each of his two tourney appearances and saw just 19 minutes of action before fouling out in last week’s loss to St. Mary’s. The junior will now be making his first appearance at the Big Dance with Gonzaga, and hopes to build on his 17-point performance for Wyoming in the First Four two years ago.
MCNS
GONZ