The Houston Cougars and Gonzaga Bulldogs face off in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament in what will be a great game between two heavyweights. Both teams rank in the top-10 of the KenPom rankings and the winner of Houston vs Gonzaga will certainly become the favorite in this region.
Below, we will preview this March Madness college basketball game, giving the Houston vs Gonzaga overview, trends and our expert pick! Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
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Houston vs Gonzaga Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2025 NCAA Tournament
No. 1 Houston Cougars (31-4) vs. No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-8)
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Time: 8:40 PM EST
Venue: INTRUST Bank Arena — Wichita, KS
Coverage: TNT
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Houston vs Gonzaga March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Houston vs Gonzaga can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: HOU: (-225) | GONZ: (+185)
Point Spread: HOU: -5.5 (-108) | GONZ: +5.5 (-114)
Total: 139.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Houston | 2 | 123.3 (11) | 87.5 (2) | 61.6 (359) |
| Gonzaga | 7 | 124.2 (7) | 96.0 (26) | 70.3 (44) |
Houston vs Gonzaga College Basketball Trends
- Houston is 5-0 in its last five games.
- Gonzaga is 5-0 in its last five games.
- Houston is 12-3 in non-conference play this season.
- Gonzaga is 12-4 in non-conference play this season.
- Houston has made the Sweet 16 in each of their last five NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Gonzaga has made the Sweet 16 in each of their last nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
Houston vs Gonzaga Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
Simply put, both teams got absolutely screwed over by the March Madness bracket draw. Houston has been one of the most consistent teams in the country over the last few years and ran through the Big 12 with ease this season. Gonzaga may have struggled a bit more than in years past, but the analytics don’t see this team anywhere near the 8-Seed that they were given by the selection committee.
Both these teams play elite offense and defense with the only major difference coming in tempo. Houston likes to play a slower, more methodical brand of basketball while Gonzaga likes to use their depth and speed to turn games into more of a track meet.
Gonzaga looked fantastic in their first-round drubbing of Georgia. However, they will need to prove that they can play elite defense against an elite team. Defense was a problem in their losses to other great teams such as Kentucky, UConn and Saint Mary’s and was also an issue against much less talented teams like Santa Clara and Oregon State. Barring a horrible shooting night from the Cougars, it will come down to whether or not Gonzaga’s defense can show up for a full 40 minutes when it matters most. Judging by their inconsistency against good teams this season, that seems unlikely.
For our Houston vs Gonzaga prediction, we are picking the Houston Cougars to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
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