Thursday night's UCLA-Gonzaga matchup has a real shot to be the most entertaining contest of the four-game slate, with both team's odds of advancing to the Elite Eight priced near a pick 'em. Although some money has trickled back on Gonzaga, moving its spread from +2.5 to +1.5, it's likely the Bulldogs end up closing as the underdogs, a feat that's only occurred two other times this season.
When these two meet in the NCAA Tournament, it's a recipe for an iconic moment to transpire. Between Jordan Farmar's late-game steal in 2006 and Jalen Suggs' buzzer-beating bank shot in '21, college hoops fanatics would love nothing more than for another all-time moment to play out on Thursday night -- exactly 17 years to the day of UCLA and Gonzaga's first NCAA Tournament bout in '06.
For fans and bettors staying up late to sweat this clash between two West Coast powerhouses, we've assembled our favorite Same Game Parlay picks for UCLA and Gonzaga's battle in Sin City.
UCLA vs. Gonzaga: Best bets, Same Game Parlay
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
| Bet/Prop | Odds |
| Gonzaga moneyline | -105 |
| Gonzaga team total OVER 72.5 points | -110 |
| Rasir Bolton 10+ points | -105 |
| Tyger Campbell OVER 15.5 points | -115 |
Total parlay odds (4 legs): +700 | Bet: $100 | Potential net winnings: $700
Gonzaga moneyline (-105)
As we mentioned in the intro and our game preview, it's a rarity to see Mark Few's Bulldogs priced as underdogs in a neutral-site contest. For Gonzaga to be the betting underdogs, they certainly have to be facing off against a juggernaut of a team, and UCLA certainly meets that criterion.
While we understand UCLA's pricing as the favorite, we still can't stomach not taking advantage of Gonzaga's moneyline price hovering in the -105 range. The Bulldogs match up well with the Bruins and have the offensive firepower necessary to consistently score on the nation's second-most efficient defense. If Gonzaga's able to limit UCLA star Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s effectiveness just a bit, it has a good chance to keep its National Title hopes alive.
Gonzaga fans have endured more than enough tournament letdowns, but just when you think this iteration of the Bulldogs might not be as strong as seasons past, watch this Gonzaga team be the one that makes history.
Gonzaga team total OVER 72.5 points (-110)
Coinciding with an outright win for Gonzaga, betting its team total OVER 72.5 points is a correlated leg to our SGP. While one could point to Gonzaga's season scoring average of 87.3 points per game (first in D-1) as justification for smashing this OVER, UCLA's defense is far and away the most complete unit the Bulldogs will have gone up against.
UCLA also employs a slow tempo on offense, which justifies Gonzaga's team total sitting at a lower number than it typically does. However, a game in which the Bulldogs emerge victorious is likely one where they control the pace and speed UCLA up. Since we're thinking the Bulldogs knock off the Bruins, Gonzaga likely eclipses this number in the process. As such, we'll side with the nation's most efficient offense per KenPom (123.5 points scored per 100 possessions) to outmatch the Bruins' elite defense.
Rasir Bolton 10+ points (-105)
We also like Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton to score at least 10 points, as the senior guard has tended to step up during the Zags most crucial moments this season. If Bolton gets matched up against UCLA guard David Singleton (ankle) on the offensive end, we think he'll be able to exploit him by his ability to space the floor. Bolton should be able to drive past Singleton, who's nursing a ankle injury suffered in the latter stages of UCLA's Round of 32 victory.
Bolton's shot the three ball at a 39.7-percent clip this season, and we think he'll end up canning several triples while converting a backdoor cut to reach 10-plus points.
Tyger Campbell OVER 15.5 points (-115)
Since we're expecting a high-scoring game, we think Campbell chips in with 16-plus points. Campbell had a rough shooting night in the Bruins' Round of 32 win over Northwestern (0-7 FG), but he's too consistent of a player to be held in check for a second consecutive tournament game.
Campbell still found a way to score 12 points by knocking down all his free-throw attempts, and in a game where he'll likely attempt close to 10 shots, we think Campbell ends his night with closer to 20 points. It also helps that Campbell's the Bruins' second-most utilized player, taking a shot on 25.1 percent of possessions when on the floor.
