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The 1-seed Houston Cougars will match up with the No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line. The second-round matchup in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament 2025 will pit the teams with the longest active Sweet 16 streaks in the nation against one another. Gonzaga (26-8) has made nine straight Sweet 16 appearances, which is tied for the second-longest streak in March Madness history. Meanwhile, Houston (31-4) has reached the round of 16 five straight times and enters this contest on a 14-game win streak.

The game from the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan., tips off at 8:40 p.m. ET. The Cougars are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Gonzaga vs. Houston odds from the SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 140.5. Before making any Houston vs. Gonzaga picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-166 roll (+2025) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Gonzaga vs. Houston and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Houston vs. Gonzaga:

  • Gonzaga vs. Houston spread: Houston -5.5
  • Gonzaga vs. Houston over/under: 140.5 points 
  • Gonzaga vs. Houston money line: Houston -218, Gonzaga +179
  • HOU: 19-16 against the spread (ATS) this season 
  • GON: 15-19 ATS this season 
  • Gonzaga vs. Houston picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Houston can cover

The Cougars breezed to a 78-40 victory over March Madness newcomer, SIU Edwardsville, in the first round on Thursday. Houston took the lead 2 minutes and 49 seconds into the game and never relinquished it, leading by as many as 40 points. UH dominated both on the glass -- as its 50 rebounds were nearly twice as many as SIUE's 27 -- and from beyond the arc as Houston had a plus-24 margin in points off 3-point attempts. As the score indicates, Houston put the clamps on its opponent as no SIUE player scored more than 10 points.

That elite defense has been the calling card all season for Kelvin Sampson's squad as it ranks first in Division I in points allowed per game (57.9) and is second in KenPom's defensive efficiency rankings. However, unlike prior years, the offense is nearly on par with the defense. Houston ranks fifth in the country in 3-point percentage (39.6%) and commits the sixth-fewest turnovers per game (9.2). The team also has a go-to player in LJ Cryer, who has scored at least 15 points in each of his last six March Madness games. See which team to pick here.

Why Gonzaga can cover 

In an 8 vs 9 matchup that often goes either way, the 8-seed Zags dominated the Georgia Bulldogs, 89-68, in Thursday's first-round matchup. Gonzaga never trailed in the game and knocked down 60% of its 20 attempts from beyond the arc, with that percentage being a season high. This offensive explosion came immediately after the Bulldogs held Saint Mary's -- which is a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament -- to just 51 points as the Zags won the West Coast Conference Tournament Final, so the Zags have displayed the ability to win with both offense and defense.

However, when you think about Mark Few-coached teams, you think about the offensive end of the court and for good reason. Gonzaga's 86.7 points per game are the second most in college basketball thanks to elite shooting. The squad is also second in FG percentage, ranks fifth in FT percentage, and the Bulldogs boast five double-digit scorers. You also can't ignore that Gonzaga has made nine straight Sweet 16 appearances, so few programs know how the make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament quite like this one. See which team to pick here.

How to make Houston vs. Gonzaga picks

SportsLine's model has simulated Gonzaga vs. Houston 10,000 times and is leaning Over on the total, projecting 148 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Houston vs. Gonzaga, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Gonzaga vs. Houston spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,000 on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.