The Texas Longhorns‘ late-season swoon ended in a big way when it mattered most, as Texas has run off back-to-back upsets of North Carolina State and BYU to earn a showdown with Gonzaga with a Sweet 16 spot on the line.
The Bulldogs set it up with a first-round win against Conference USA’s Kennesaw State and have now won nine of their last 10 games as they look to go on a March run.
Gonzaga is a solid favorite to do just that in Portland, not too far from its Spokane, Wash. campus, and end a Texas charge that didn’t seem likely a week ago.
Texas men’s basketball vs. Gonzaga in March Madness today
The No. 11 Texas men’s basketball team takes on No. 3 Gonzaga in a second-round NCAA tournament South Region game in Portland. The 5:10 p.m. MT/6:10 p.m. tip Saturday, March 21, will be aired on truTV.
How to watch Texas vs. Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament
The Texas vs. Gonzaga game will at 5:10 p.m. MT/6:10 p.m. on truTV on Saturday, March 21.
More: Predicting every Men’s NCAA tournament game using AI
Who does the winner of Texas-Gonzaga play?
The winner of the No. 11 Texas vs. No. 3 Gonzaga advances to the Sweet 16 West Region semifinals in San Jose where it will play the winner of No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 7 Miami.
Texas men’s basketball record
The Texas Longhorns are 20-14.
Gonzaga men’s basketball record
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are 31-3.
Texas Longhorns vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs odds
Odds from BetMGM.com: Houston -6 1/2. Moneyline: Gonzaga -250, Texas +200. Over/under 142 1/2.
Texas Longhorns men’s basketball vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs predictions, picks
The Arizona Republic: Gonzaga 74, Texas 72
Jeremy Cluff writes: “Texas is already 2-0 in this tournament and is more than capable of upsetting Gonzaga in the second round. But the Zags will find a way to win late against the Longhorns.”
Bookies.com: Bet the under in Gonzaga vs Texas game
Bill Speros writes: “The Longhorns have now won back-to-back games as underdogs — first in the First Four over NC State, then over BYU in Round 1. Now they get to face everyone’s favorite Big Dance Darling – Gonzaga. They make documentaries about this stuff. The Zags are 5-0 this year in their home-away-from-home. This game opened at 4.5 and jumped to 6.5. So we’re not going to touch that one. Texas will be playing its third game in five days. Any early run from Texas will eventually sputter. A smothering Zags’ defense and fatigue deliver the under here.”
ESPN: Gonzaga has a 74.8% chance to beat Texas
The site gives the Longhorns a 25.2% shot at defeating the Zags in the NCAA Tournament March Madness second-round game.
vsin: Bet Gonzaga to beat Texas in March Madness
Zachary Cohen writes: “Oddly enough, I also think Few’s tournament experience is big here. While he hasn’t yet won a national title, he has done way better in the tournament than Sean Miller has. That said, don’t be surprised if Few has Gonzaga looking like the more prepared team here.”
Odds Shark: Gonzaga 85.6, Texas 63.4
The site predicts that the Bulldogs will cover the point spread. It is also taking the over for the point total.
Cappers Picks: Gonzaga 81, Texas 72
It writes: “Considering Gonzaga’s strong regular season record and offensive stats, they are likely to outscore Texas. Additionally, Gonzaga’s ability to control the game with higher assists and rebounds gives them an edge.”
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas basketball vs Gonzaga predictions: Odds to reach NCAA Sweet 16