McNeese vs Gonzaga picks, predictions, odds: Who wins March Madness NCAA Tournament game?
No. 12 seed McNeese and No. 5 seed Gonzaga play Thursday, March 21 in an NCAA Tournament first-round game in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Midwest Region game is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. PT and can be seen on TBS (stream with Sling TV).
Who will win the March Madness game and advance to the second round?
Check out these NCAA Tournament first-round picks and predictions for the men's college basketball matchup.
Gonzaga is a 6.5-point favorite in the game in March Madness odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. The Zags are -275 on the moneyline. The Cowboys are +220. The over/under for the game is set at 147.5 points.
Thursday's March Madness picks, predictions: Michigan State vs Mississippi State | Duquesne vs BYU | Akron vs Creighton | Long Beach State vs Arizona | Morehead State vs. Illinois | Oregon vs South Carolina | Nevada vs Dayton | Oakland vs Kentucky | McNeese vs Gonzaga | South Dakota State vs Iowa State | Saint Peter's vs Tennessee | NC State vs Texas Tech | Samford vs Kansas | Drake vs Washington State
Friday's March Madness picks, predictions: Northwestern vs Florida Atlantic | Colgate vs Baylor | UAB vs San Diego State | Western Kentucky vs Marquette | Stetson vs UConn | New Mexico vs Clemson | Yale vs Auburn | Texas A&M vs Nebraska | Vermont vs Duke | Charleston vs Alabama | Longwood vs Houston | James Madison vs Wisconsin | TCU vs Utah State | Grand Canyon vs Saint Mary's
Sportsbook Wire: Gonzaga 77, McNeese 71
It writes: "Gonzaga has won 15 games against the spread this season, while failing to cover 16 times. McNeese has won 16 games against the spread this season, while failing to cover or pushing 13 times. The 84.9 points per game the Bulldogs average are 23.4 more points than the Cowboys give up (61.5)."
March Madness TV schedule: Television channels, streaming, how to watch NCAA Tournament
DraftKings: Bet Gonzaga to beat McNeese in NCAA Tournament
Nick Simon writes: "This is an interesting clash of styles as Gonzaga likes to up the tempo on offense while McNeese State likes to grind teams down and frustrate teams on defense. Ultimately, I think the Bulldogs are more battle tested for this matchup as McNeese has not faced an opponent of this caliber all season long."
Picks and Parlays: Gonzaga 83, McNeese 80
Thomas Pemberton writes: "The 12 vs 5 matchup is notoriously known for upsets. The McNeese State Cowboys enter the big dance playing very good basketball. The Cowboys had some quality wins this season as they beat teams like Michigan, VCU, and UAB. Gonzaga has more talent but watch for McNeese State to leave it all on the floor and keep this one close."
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Action Network: McNeese could upset Gonzaga in first round game
D.J. James writes: "The McNeese Cowboys might be the best “underrated” team in the country. Head coach Will Wade has an absolutely loaded team out of the Southland Conference. They ranked 60th in KenPom as the numbers love a team that can hit threes and not turn the ball over. Gonzaga has atrocious 3-point defense — bad news against a Cowboys team that shoots over 39% from deep. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, shoot a little over 35% from deep but don’t take as many shots from outside. Now, McNeese allows a considerable number of 3-point chances, so the Bulldogs have a chance if they take – and make – their open looks. However, Gonzaga may have the worst draw out of all of the 5-seeds in the entire bracket because Shahada Wells and McNeese are going to be a problem."
ESPN: Gonzaga has a 75.7% chance to beat McNeese in March Madness
The site gives the Cowboys a 24.3% shot at defeating the Zags in Thursday's first-round March Madness NCAA Tournament game.
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STREAM THE GAME: Watch McNeese vs. Gonzaga live with Sling TV
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: McNeese vs Gonzaga March Madness NCAA Tournament picks, predictions
