Women’s College Basketball Odds & Picks: Rice vs. Gonzaga
The Rice Owls will play the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, WA, tonight (Tipoff at 9 p.m. ET). This will be just the second time these two teams have played. Gonzaga won the only other meeting last year, 80-72. Despite having a 2-2 record, Gonzaga is listed at DraftKings as a 7.5-point favorite.
It will be the first road game of the season for the 4-1 Owls.
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Women's College Basketball Odds & Picks: Rice vs. Gonzaga
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Details
- Betting line: Gonzaga -7.5, o/u 130.5
- Location: McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, WA
- Start Time: 9 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+
- Last Meeting: December 9, 2023-Rice Owls 72 Gonzaga Bulldogs 80
Overview
After going 32-4 and making a run to the Sweet Sixteen last season, Gonzaga came into the 2024-25 season hoping the program could take the next step. However, after losing a ton of talent following the end of the 2023-24 season, the team was staring a rebuild straight in the face.
However, the Bulldogs did have one thing going for them-the return of their best player, senior forward Yvonne Ejim (19.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 bpg in 2023-24). But the team did not sit idly by during the offseason. The team found her some help:
- Ines Bettencourt, Guard, Transfer from Connecticut
- McKynnlie Dalan, Forward, Transfer from Minnesota
- Vera Gunaydin, Junior, Guard, Transfer from JC
Freshman Allie Turner has been an early standout, averaging 16.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.3 assists per game. But Gonzaga is 2-2 after dropping games to Stanford and Cal before winning in their last game, 62-51 over Wyoming.
Rice did not have the same level of success last season, going 19-15 and getting eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament. But most of the talented team is back and ready to make another run to March Madness, and the first five games have gone well.
After dropping their season opener to South Dakota State 65-63, the Owls have bounced back with four consecutive wins (over NC A&T, South Alabama, Houston, and Sam Houston. Dominique Ennis leads the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game.
Sussy Ngulefac is the only player averaging double digits with 10.0 per game. Haily Adams leads the team in rebounds with 8.4 per game.
Trends
- Rice last won four in a row during last season's AAC Tournament, when they unexpectedly won the conference championship.
- Gonzaga is the third preseason conference favorite Rice has faced this season.
- Rice was picked in the preseason to finish second in the AAC behind South Florida.
- Gonzaga has yet to play a close game, winning or losing by more than ten points in all four games played.
Bottom Line
While the line opened with Gonzaga, a 9.5-point favorite, it didn't take long for the line to move down to -7.5 Gonzaga. The Bulldogs were the better team by far last season, but there is no reason to think that is the case this season. Rice brought back most of last season's talented team and has been playing well.
Worst-case scenario for Rice: It's a close game, and they get edged out by Gonzaga in the end, but the Bulldogs don't cover the spread. But we like Rice to win this game outright.
Our Pick: Rice (Moneyline)