The No. 12 seed McNeese Cowboys and the No. 5 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs square off in a Midwest Region battle in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 7:25 p.m. ET. Gonzaga is a 7-point favorite in the latest McNeese State vs. Gonzaga via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 149.5 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page). 

Before making any McNeese State vs. Gonzaga picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows Gonzaga junior forward Graham Ike brings an athletic and bruising force into the paint. Ike scores in the low post and uses his awareness to pile up rebounds. He averages a team-high 16.5 points with 7.2 rebounds per game. On Mar. 2, he had 24 points and 10 rebounds.

The model also knows McNeese senior guard Shahada Wells has been a consistent playmaker. Wells gets a score from all three levels with the court vision to get his teammates involved. The Texas native logs 17.8 points and 4.8 assists per game. In his last outing, Wells tallied 27 points, six assists, and three steals. 

Now, the model has set its sights on Gonzaga vs. McNeese State. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 70% of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins McNeese vs. Gonzaga, and which side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from that's on a 29-19 roll on top-rated college basketball spread picks!