NCAAB: #5 Gonzaga vs #4 Kansas Odds, and Picks (Mar 23)

• Gonzaga cruised to an 86-65 victory over the McNeese Cowboys in their first-round game.
• Kansas narrowly avoided an upset against the 13-seed Samford Bulldogs, winning it 93-89.
• These two teams last faced off on November 26, 2020, with Gonzaga emerging victorious 102-90.

The NCAA Tournament is in full swing! Let’s take a look at this matchup between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Kansas Jayhawks. Both teams avoided trendy upset picks in the first round, but the Bulldogs did so in a much more confident fashion.

How to Watch

• CBS

Preview

Gonzaga enters this showdown fresh off of a dominant win against McNeese State, led by Graham Ike’s astounding performance. Ike picked up another double-double, recording 16 points and 10 rebounds on 100% shooting. Additionally, Anton Watson nearly achieved a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists. The Bulldogs showcased their offensive prowess by shooting 52% from the field and 48% from beyond the arc, while shutting the Cowboys down on defense as well.

Kansas secured victory over Samford, despite Achor Achor’s stellar 23-point, 8-rebound performance. Hunter Dickinson dominated the competition with 19 points and an impressive 20 rebounds, finishing just shy of a 20-20 performance. However, controversy marred the game with a disputed call favoring Kansas, who capitalized on free throws to seal the win. The Jayhawks will put an ugly first game behind them and focus on doing their best to keep winning without leading-scorer Kevin McCullar Jr.

Prediction

Both of these teams boast a rich tournament history, standing as the only two teams to win at least one game in the last 15 tournaments. I predict a closely contested game from start to finish, with Gonzaga ultimately prevailing. However, Dickinson’s dominance on the boards will lead this to be a very tight competition, giving Kansas a solid chance to cover the 4.5 point spread.

NCAAB Picks:

• Gonzaga to win (KU +4.5)