Gonzaga vs. Kennesaw State prediction: March Madness 2026 odds, picks, best bet for Thursday’s Round of 64

You can set your clock to Mark Few’s Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The Zags have been to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1999, and they often find themselves in the “best of the rest” conversation.

This year’s Bulldogs fit that mold.

They aren’t considered to be in the same tier as Duke, Michigan, or the other juggernauts, but they are not to be overlooked when you’re trying to find a team that can upset the apple cart.

Gonzaga will begin the tournament as a 20.5-point favorite over Kennesaw State in Portland on Thursday night.

Gonzaga vs. Kennesaw State odds, prediction

When you’re dealing with massive underdogs in the NCAA Tournament, you are sizing up their paths to a cover, and trying to find anything in their statistical profile that could give them a relative edge against the Goliath they are attempting to slay.

For Kennesaw State, they’ll hope that their lightning-quick tempo will throw Gonzaga off its game enough to give the Owls a chance to hang around in this No. 3 vs. No. 14 matchup.

Graham Ike leads Gonzaga in scoring this season. Getty Images

The problem is that a quick pace could favor the favorites in this tilt.

Gonzaga plays at a slightly above-average tempo, and its defense is one of the standout units in the country.

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The Bulldogs are the ninth-best defensive team in the country, per KenPom, so we can expect the Zags to get plenty of quick stops and get going the other way, where they shouldn’t meet much resistance.

Kennesaw State boasts the fifth-worst defensive rating (KenPom) in the field of 68, and the Owls will be tasked with slowing down a top-30 offensive team led by WCC Player of the Year Graham Ike and Tyon Grant-Foster, each of whom averages more than 11 points per contest.

It’s a wide spread, but the tale of the tape in this matchup points in one direction. A rout.

The Play: Gonzaga -20.5 (-110, bet365)

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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.