Tag: Gonzaga Bulldogs

2025 NCAA basketball championship odds: Who is favored? Will UConn 3-peat?

Looking at the 2025 NCAA basketball championship odds as the 2023-24 season just wrapped up.

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It’s never too soon to think about next season.

While the UConn Huskies were finishing off the Purdue Boilermakers Monday in Glendale, Ariz, other programs — and players — have already set their focus on what it will take to get to the 2025 National Championship Game in San Antonio’s Alamodome next April 7.

Numerous players have entered the transfer portal, from FAU G Johnell Davis to Arizona C Oumar Ballo. Davis reportedly will test the waters and enter the NBA Draft.

Florida G Walter Clayton Jr., LSU G Jalen Cook and even USC G Bronny James are among a group who have declared or reportedly will declare for the upcoming draft.

Coaches are on the move, too. Sources have John Calipari leaving Kentucky for SEC rival Arkansas. He would replace Eric Musselman, who is headed to USC … which lost Andy Enfield to SMU.

So, who will win the championship next season?

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2025 NCAA basketball championship odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, April 8, at 11:56 p.m. ET.

THE FAVORITES

  • Duke Blue Devils +1100 (bet $100 to win $1,100)
  • Kansas Jayhawks +1200
  • Alabama Crimson Tide +1500
  • Houston Cougars +1500
  • North Carolina Tar Heels +1500
  • UConn Huskies +1800

THE CONTENDERS

  • Arizona Wildcats +2000
  • Kentucky Wildcats +2000
  • Baylor Bears +3000
  • Gonzaga Bulldogs +3000
  • Purdue Boilermakers +3000
  • Tennessee Volunteers +3600
  • Texas Longhorns +3600

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YOU NEVER KNOW

  • Arkansas Razorbacks +4000
  • Auburn Tigers +4000
  • BYU Cougars +4000
  • Illinois Fighting Illini +4000
  • Iowa State Cyclones +4000
  • Creighton Bluejays +4500
  • Marquette Golden Eagles +4500

NOTEWORTHY ???

  • Michigan Wolverines +5000
  • Miami Hurricanes +5000
  • Florida Gators +5500
  • Michigan State Spartans +5500
  • Ohio State Buckeyes +5500
  • St. John’s Red Storm +5500
  • UCLA Bruins +5500
  • Villanova Wildcats +5500
  • Wisconsin Badgers +5500

+6000

San Diego State Aztecs | USC Trojans

+8000

Indiana Hoosiers | Kansas State Wildcats

Louisville Cardinals | Virginia Cavaliers

Washington Huskies

+10000

Iowa Hawkeyes |  Oklahoma Sooners

Oregon Ducks |  Syracuse Orange

+15000

Colorado Buffaloes | NC State Wolfpack

Northwestern Wildcats | Notre Dame Fighting Irish

+25000

Arizona State Sun Devils

+30000

FAU Owls | Stanford Cardinal

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

LONGEST SHOTS (+50000 each)

McNeese Cowboys |  Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Oregon State Beavers | UC Irvine Anteaters

Vermont Catamounts | Yale Bulldogs

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College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
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College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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Could Florida Atlantic’s latest hire make them ‘the next Gonzaga?’

Can former Baylor and Gonzaga assistant John Jakus keep Florida Atlantic among the premier mid-major programs in college basketball?

In March of 1999 the Gonzaga Bulldogs went on a magical run to the Elite Eight as an 11-seed, punctuated by a game winner over Florida which led to the iconic Gus Johnson call: ‘the slipper still fits!’

The next year head coach Dan Monson departed for a job in the Big Ten at Minnesota, and an unknown assistant coach named Mark Few took over the program – and the rest is history.

While the story doesn’t quite line up perfectly, there are a lot of similarities to what is currently happening in Boca Raton with the Owls of Florida Atlantic.

FAU went on a miracle run in the NCAA Tournament in 2023, going all the way to the Final Four under coach Dusty May as a nine seed. One year later, he too departed for greener pastures in the Big Ten – taking the head coaching job at Michigan. He will be replaced by John Jakus, a relatively unknown assistant coach who has a background at Baylor and – you guessed it – Gonzaga.

Will Jakus turn around and lead FAU to 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and cement himself as a future Hall of Fame coach? It’s unlikely, simply because of the extreme rarity that is Few and Gonzaga’s story.

However, a program coming off a great two year run, in an improved basketball conference, with an invigorated fanbase, hiring a coach who developed under Few and Scott Drew, and who has professional coaching experience in Europe, is certainly one that is trending in the right direction.

Many programs have at times been given the label of ‘the next Gonzaga’ and none have kept it long term – mostly because their coach departed for a bigger job before the program was able to grab a strong enough foothold to succeed without them.

Loyola Chicago lost Drew Valentine, VCU lost Shaka Smart, George Mason lost Jim Larranaga, Florida Gulf Coast lost Andy Enfield, Oral Roberts lost Paul Mills, the list goes on and on – and in the transfer portal era the ability to retain talent at the mid-major level is harder than ever.

Jakus is a phenomenal basketball mind, and both the Gonzaga and Baylor coaching trees are rife with successful names – like Tommy Lloyd, Jerome Tang, Grant McCasland, Leon Rice, and Mills – but the journey to being Gonzaga in Florida will require Jakus not only to stick around long term, but to continue to fight through college basketball rule changes which heavily favor the Power-6 programs.

Perhaps it’s unfair to toss the Gonzaga label around before Jakus has even coached his first game, but FAU has the infrastructure and current momentum to keep it going in the post-May era, and they are a team well worth keeping on the radar going forward.

March Madness: Friday’s best NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 underdog pick and prediction

Beat the Sportsbook: Here is Friday’s best Sweet 16 underdog bet for the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

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We are now into Week 2 of the NCAA Tournament. While some favorites were knocked out, it has mostly been a bracket playing to chalk through the first 2 rounds. We’ll likely still get a surprise or two as we make our way toward the Final Four. Below, we break down FanDuel Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines and list Friday’s best Sweet 16 underdog bet to cash in on among SportbookWire’s expert college basketball picks and predictions.

Prior to Thursday’s action, a quarter of the Sweet 16 come from seeds 5-or-higher. Two of the 16 (Clemson, NC State) are from outside the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Four are — or were — tabbed as underdogs of 5½ points or more.

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Friday’s NCAA Tournament underdog pick

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11:51 p.m. ET.

Gonzaga +5.5 (-110) vs. Purdue – 7:39 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV)

This game is Friday’s 1st Midwest Region semifinal at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, and it features the No. 1 seed Boilermakers against the No. 5 Bulldogs.

Prior to the Tournament much was made of Purdue’s past upset losses in the Big Dance — each when favored by a double-digit margin — each of the last 2 years. But Purdue has ridden the sensational play of C Zach Edey to easy wins this Tournament over No. 16 Grambling and No. 8 Utah State. The Boilermaker behemoth averaged 26.5 points and 17.5 rebounds on 67.9% shooting in the 2 wins.

Gonzaga has had its offense in really high gear since about mid-January. The Bulldogs are 16-2 and averaging 85.7 points per game since Jan. 18. During that stretch, they have shot 54% from the field and 40.5% from 3-point range. It’s the Zags’ ability to knock down contested inside buckets and not have to rely on 3’s that looms large in this matchup against this Purdue five that is not as dominant in defending the interior as one might assume.

Overall, Purdue is the better defensive team. KenPom ranks the Boilermakers’ defensive efficiency at  No. 15 in the nation, while the Zags are 44th. But the late-season trend line has Gonzaga closing the gap and of late playing quite well at that end of the floor.

Gonzaga has big bodies inside and depth there as well. Look for the Bulldogs to be a fair play on the money line (currently at +195, would take GU at +205 or better), but there figures to be a high enough probability of a 1-possession game to give bettors solid leverage on GONZAGA +5.5 (-110).

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College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin /
College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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How to buy Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets in Detroit for 2024 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional

Want to watch March Madness and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 live in Detroit this weekend? Tickets are still available for as little as $210.

Only 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament, and four of them will be playing in Detroit, Michigan this weekend.

This year, March Madness returns to Detrtoit as the Little Caesars Arena is set to host a weekend of Sweet 16 and Elite matchups that will eventually send one team onto Phoenix and the Final Four.

SHOP: Detroit Regional Sweet 16 tickets

Tickets to Detroit Sweet 16 action give access to both games and as of publication are still available for as little as $210.

No. 1 Purdue tips off Detroit’s Sweet 16 action when they take on No. 5 Gonzaga at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

That game will be immediately followed by No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton.

SHOP: Purdue vs. Gonzaga and Tennessee vs. Creighton tickets

If you want to catch all the action, weekend passes are still available for as little as $354.

The weekend passes include access to both of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between the winners of Friday night’s games.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OPZQNW”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/0eljBgW”]

How to buy Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets in Detroit for 2024 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional

Want to watch March Madness and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 live in Detroit this weekend? Tickets are still available for as little as $210.

Only 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament, and four of them will be playing in Detroit, Michigan this weekend.

This year, March Madness returns to Detrtoit as the Little Caesars Arena is set to host a weekend of Sweet 16 and Elite matchups that will eventually send one team onto Phoenix and the Final Four.

SHOP: Detroit Regional Sweet 16 tickets

Tickets to Detroit Sweet 16 action give access to both games and as of publication are still available for as little as $210.

No. 1 Purdue tips off Detroit’s Sweet 16 action when they take on No. 5 Gonzaga at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

That game will be immediately followed by No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton.

SHOP: Purdue vs. Gonzaga and Tennessee vs. Creighton tickets

If you want to catch all the action, weekend passes are still available for as little as $354.

The weekend passes include access to both of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between the winners of Friday night’s games.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OPZQNW”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/0eljBgW”]

How to buy Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets in Detroit for 2024 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional

Want to watch March Madness and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 live in Detroit this weekend? Tickets are still available for as little as $210.

Only 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament, and four of them will be playing in Detroit, Michigan this weekend.

This year, March Madness returns to Detrtoit as the Little Caesars Arena is set to host a weekend of Sweet 16 and Elite matchups that will eventually send one team onto Phoenix and the Final Four.

SHOP: Detroit Regional Sweet 16 tickets

Tickets to Detroit Sweet 16 action give access to both games and as of publication are still available for as little as $210.

No. 1 Purdue tips off Detroit’s Sweet 16 action when they take on No. 5 Gonzaga at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

That game will be immediately followed by No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton.

SHOP: Purdue vs. Gonzaga and Tennessee vs. Creighton tickets

If you want to catch all the action, weekend passes are still available for as little as $354.

The weekend passes include access to both of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between the winners of Friday night’s games.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OPZQNW”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/0eljBgW”]

How to buy Purdue vs. Gonzaga NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 tickets

Want to watch Purdue vs. Gonzaga in person? Tickets are still available for this Sweet 16 matchup in Detroit, MI.

Take a breath, Boilermakers and Zags fans, your teams are moving onto the Sweet 16!

No. 1 Purdue defeated No. 8 Utah St 106-67 behind 23 points and 14 rebounds from Zach Edey.

No. 5 Gonzaga rode a balanced second half performance to a 89-68 victory against No. 4 Kansas.

Both teams advance to the Sweet 16 in the Midwest Region with relative ease, and will likely play a closer game in Detroit on Friday, March 29.

Purdue vs. Gonzaga tickets are still available to the Sweet 16 matchup for as little as $216.

Tickets include access to both Sweet 16 games, the other game will feature No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton.

Weekend passes are also still available, and include both Sweet 16 games and the subsequent Elite 8 game in Detroit.

At the time of publication Detroit Regional weekend passes are still available for as little as $373.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Purdue vs. Gonzaga Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/BJy5mBe”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Detroit Regional weekend pass” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVEq4zY”]

How to buy Purdue vs. Gonzaga NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 tickets

Want to watch Purdue vs. Gonzaga in person? Tickets are still available for this Sweet 16 matchup in Detroit, MI.

Take a breath, Boilermakers and Zags fans, your teams are moving onto the Sweet 16!

No. 1 Purdue defeated No. 8 Utah St 106-67 behind 23 points and 14 rebounds from Zach Edey.

No. 5 Gonzaga rode a balanced second half performance to a 89-68 victory against No. 4 Kansas.

Both teams advance to the Sweet 16 in the Midwest Region with relative ease, and will likely play a closer game in Detroit on Friday, March 29.

Purdue vs. Gonzaga tickets are still available to the Sweet 16 matchup for as little as $216.

Tickets include access to both Sweet 16 games, the other game will feature No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton.

Weekend passes are also still available, and include both Sweet 16 games and the subsequent Elite 8 game in Detroit.

At the time of publication Detroit Regional weekend passes are still available for as little as $373.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Purdue vs. Gonzaga Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/BJy5mBe”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Detroit Regional weekend pass” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVEq4zY”]

Gonzaga’s win at San Francisco protected 25 year streak of making NCAA Tournament

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs likely stamped an at-large bid in the 2024 NCAA Tournament with a win over San Francisco on Thursday.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs entered the final week of February and the start of March in unfamiliar territory: on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

They knew they needed at least one win in the final week of the WCC regular season, but road games against San Francisco and St. Mary’s looked daunting.

So far, so good for the Zags however, as Mark Few’s team took their first lead of the game with under a minute to go in the first half and never once looked back – destroying the Dons in the first seven minutes of the second half and coasting to an 18 point victory.

Graham Ike was outstanding, potentially locking up the WCC Player of the Year award by posting 26 points on 9-12 shooting, along with seven rebounds and two blocks and a perfect 8-8 performance at the free throw line.

Gonzaga moves to 23-6 overall and 13-2 in WCC play, cementing themselves as the No. 2 seed heading into the conference tournament which gives them a double-bye. They are now 2-5 in Quad 1 games, a still unremarkable record but one that comes with being No. 19 in the NET and No. 17 at KenPom.

With only one regular season game remaining, on the road against the No. 17 ranked Gaels of St. Mary’s, the Zags have positioned themselves to earn a bid in the Big Dance regardless of how things play out on Saturday and next week in Vegas.

Of course, Gonzaga would like nothing more than to avenge a two point loss at home and spoil St. Mary’s perfect regular season record – and a win in Moraga gives the Zags even more wiggle room and could lead them to as high as a six or seven seed if they win out and take the WCC autobid.

Gonzaga has not missed the NCAA Tournament since 1998, the third longest current streak, and Thursday’s second half against the Dons likely insured that streak won’t end in 2024.

Ben Gregg lifts Gonzaga over Pilots in homecoming for Portland native

Gonzaga forward Ben Gregg had a huge first half to lead the Bulldogs over the Portland Pilots in college basketball Thursday night action.

Growing up a Gonzaga fan while living in the Portland area, Ben Gregg was already plenty familiar with the Chiles Center from his many trips to see the Zags play the Pilots when he was a kid.

Now the junior forward is making his presence felt on the floor, instead of on the sidelines, after dropping 13 points and four rebounds – most coming in the first half – in an 86-65 win for Gonzaga on Thursday evening.

It is the fifth straight win for the Zags and gives them a 21-6 record ahead of a huge trio of remaining conference games: first at home against Santa Clara on Saturday followed by a Bay Area road trip to face San Francisco at the Chase Center and then a huge game in Moraga against the St. Mary’s Gaels, the nation’s only undefeated team in conference play.

Gonzaga got off to a pedestrian start this season, with a trio of new starters including freshman Dusty Stromer, who filled in when presumed starter Steele Venters tore his ACL just two days before the team’s opener.

However, Mark Few’s club has gotten back on track in large part because of Gregg, who replaced Stromer in the starting lineup on January 18 – a stretch in which the team’s offensive efficiency and rebounding dramatically improved.

Gregg is averaging 10.1 points and 6.9 rebounds since entering the starting lineup, and Thursday was just another example of how impactful he is – now that he’s the one on the court wearing the uniform, instead of sitting in the crowd.