Mark Few and the No. 3 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs square off against No. 14 Kennesaw State on Thursday, looking for their 17th consecutive round one victory in the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga (30-3) wrapped up a regular season filled with adversity, starting with the late arrivals of Mario Saint-Supery (EuroBasket Tournament) and Tyon Grant-Foster (Eligibility) and culminating with a significant knee injury to starting power forward Braden Huff, a three game absence from Graham Ike due to a sore ankle, and a seriously hobbled Jalen Warley who suffered a quad contusion in early February.
Despite all that, the Zags managed yet another 30-win season and a top-four seed in the Big Dance, securing a favorable draw in the West Region where they will begin the madness at the Moda Center in Portland, OR.
Huff remains out for Gonzaga at least through this weekend, although Warley has been moving around just fine after returning from a two-game absence to start both games in the WCC Tournament.
No Huff means a heavy dose of Warley and Grant-Foster for Gonzaga, who will both be counted on to help curb Kennesaw State's strong offensive rebounding and ability to draw contact and get to the free-throw line.
The Owls average a whopping 27 free throw attempts per game – second nationally – and gobble up offensive rebounds like it's no one's business, two areas they could exploit against the Zags on Thursday night.
However, Ike – recently named an All-American Third Teamer – is inevitable, and without the size and physicality to match up with the 6'9 graduate student, it's hard to imagine a path to victory for coach Antoine Pettway and his Owls.
The matchup is set to tip-off at 7:00 PM PT on Thursday, March 19 and will be broadcast on TBS.
Below is a look at notable trends and the overall point spread and betting lines for Thursday's bout between Gonzaga and Kennesaw State:
Notable trends
– Gonzaga is 30-3 on the year, 20-13 against the spread, 4-4 against the spread on a neutral floor, 6-2 against the spread with a rest advantage, and 15-14 against the spread after a win
– Kennesaw State is 21-13 on the year, 14-16-1 against the spread, 5-1 against the spread on a neutral site, 8-4 as the underdog, and 8-9-1 coming off a win
Gonzaga vs. Kennesaw State betting odds
Spread: Gonzaga -20.5 (-102)
Over/Under: 154.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Gonzaga (-4500) Kennesaw State (+1600)
Gametime: Thursday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. PT
TV: TBS
Odds courtesy ofFanDuel Sportsbook.Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Point spread, betting odds for Gonzaga vs. Kennesaw State in NCAA Tournament first round.