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The McNeese Cowboys look to upset the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a highly anticipated first-round NCAA Tournament matchup, and we have you covered with our top McNeese vs. Gonzaga prediction based on the best March Madness odds.

The 12th-seeded McNeese Cowboys will make their first tournament appearance since 2002 after clinching the Southland Conference's automatic bid. Dominating the conference tournament, they won a pair of games by margins exceeding 16 points, joining the exclusive ranks of Division I teams with 30 wins.

Questions loomed over the No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs' NCAA Tournament chances as the regular season concluded. However, they earned a respectable No. 5 seed despite suffering their most losses since 2015-16. This appearance marks the Bulldogs' 25th consecutive entry into the NCAA Tournament.

As part of our March Madness predictions, here is our best McNeese vs. Gonzaga prediction and college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

McNeese vs. Gonzaga odds 

McNeese (No. 12) vs. Gonzaga (No. 5 seed) prediction: Midwest Region 

McNeese ML ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +230 via BetMGM

McNeese is outscoring opponents by 18.9 points per game, the largest margin in D-I. While Gonzaga will present much different challenges than any Southland opponent, this is still a Tigers squad that won at VCU to begin the season and Michigan before the Wolverines’ freefall. It also earned a 21-point non-conference road win against a UAB team, a No. 12 seed in the East region.

Gonzaga’s NCAA Tournament struggles in the past have largely stemmed from facing teams that can slow the tempo and get physical with its guards and disrupt its offense (i.e. UConn, Baylor, Texas Tech in recent years). McNeese fits this profile to a tee with a tempo that ranks 282nd and the sixth-highest turnover rate forced (23.1%).

McNeese’s pressure defense in the halfcourt also limits opponents to the 29th-lowest 2-point percentage in D-I, which will play huge dividends when defending Graham Ike, who leads the Bulldogs with 16.5 points per game. 

BetMGM offers mouthwatering +230 odds, representing an implied probability of 30.30%. Using our odds converter, a winning $10 wager would payout $33. 

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McNeese vs. Gonzaga best odds

BetMGM (+230)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
+225+225+230+205+225

BetMGM has the best value for a McNeese moneyline play compared to the rest of our best sports betting sites, with a winning $10 wager at +230 odds would dole out a profit of $23 as opposed to $20.50 at Caesars (+205). 

No. 12 seeds are 53-99 SU all-time against No. 5 seeds, and this is always a popular upset pick in NCAA Tournament brackets. However, this may not be as popular as most would expect. No. 5 seeds went 4-0 in the first round last year and won by an average of 12 points per game. 

McNeese vs. Gonzaga spread & Over/Under analysis

Caesars and bet365 are the only two of our top sports betting apps offering a spread of Gonzaga -6, as all other competitors are slightly higher at -6.5.

Caesars and BetMGM have seen the most movement on their point spreads as the only shops to reach as low as -5.5 and as high as -6.5. Early spread wagers are 3/1 in support of the favored Bulldogs, who covered 13 of 27 games as favorites this season.

FanDuel is isolated as the only one of our top sports betting sites offering a total of 149.5, with the others offering 148.5 to 150.5.

DraftKings and bet365 were only much lower than the rest of the market, with totals of 145.5, but those totals skyrocketed two or more points within the first hour. The betting splits support that movement, as the early wagers are 2/1 in favor of the Over.

McNeese vs. Gonzaga game info

  • When: Thursday, March 21
  • Tip-off: 7:25 p.m. ET
  • Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • How to watch: TBS

McNeese-Gonzaga prediction made Monday at 11:45 a.m. ET.

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