West Regional Odds: Gonzaga Odds-On Favorite to Reach Final Four

• The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the -200 favorites to win the NCAA West Regional
• Gonzaga was also made the tournament #1 seed by the NCAA and are the +350 chalk to win it all
• The Zags, who have never won March Madness, lost last year’s final to Baylor

Is this the year that Gonzaga finally goes all the way? Last season, the Bulldogs arrived at the championship game of the Final Four unbeaten, only to fall to the Baylor Bears in the title tilt.

It was the second time in four tourneys that the Zags lost in the NCAA final. In each of the past six NCAA Tournaments, Gonzaga has gone at least as far as Sweet 16. But the Bulldogs have never been crowned champions.

They’ll begin their latest pursuit of glory the same way they did a year ago. Gonzaga is the #1 seed in the West Regional. In fact, it’s the third successive March Madness in which the Zags are top seed in the West.

Oddsmakers have established the Bulldogs as -200 favorites to defend their West Regional crown. Gonzaga is 26-3 straight up this season but just 2-4-1 against the spread over the past seven games.

March Madness West Regional Odds

Odds as of March 13th at Barstool Sportsbook. See the college basketball odds page for individual game odds. 

Action in the West Region is slated to get underway Thursday, March 17, with top-seeded Gonzaga playing host to #16 Georgia State.

The form charts held fairly strongly in last year’s West Regional. In fact, there was just one upset. The #13 Ohio Bobcats stunned the #4 Virginia Cavaliers 62-58 in the opening round.

Gonzaga a Tough Out

The Bulldogs are on top all over the odds board. Gonzaga is the +350 favorite in the NCAA Tournament odds. The Zags are the odds-on -120 chalk in the Final Four odds.

Freshman center Chet Holmgren (+3500) and junior forward Drew Timme (+6500) are outside contenders in the 2022 Wooden Award odds for the college basketball player of the year.

"It's time for Gonzaga to finish it off." 🏆

Seth Davis & Clark Kellogg give their Final Four predictions after the release of this year's #MarchMadness bracket. pic.twitter.com/EAWs3wOi2H

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 13, 2022

Gonzaga is first in the NCAA in scoring offense, averaging 87.8 points per game. The Zags are also #1 in field goal percentage (52.73%). They’re third in assists per game (18.2) and rebound margin (eight) and eighth in assists/turnovers (1.55).

In case you’re thinking that the Bulldogs are all offense, think again. The Bulldogs lead the nation in defensive rebounds per game (32.07), are third in field goal percentage defense (32.929%) and sixth in blocked shots per game (5.9).

🗣 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹#UnitedWeZag x #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/3z8jQnpSSo

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) March 13, 2022

Holmgren is projected to be one of the top-3 picks in the NBA Draft. He ranks #4 nationally with 3.59 blocks per game. Holmgren is averaging 14.2 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game this season.

WCC player of the year Timme is leading the team with 17.5 points per game. Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard is a Bob Cousy point guard of the year finalist. He’s 13th in the nation with 5.7 assists per game this season. Nembhard was the WCC Tournament’s most outstanding player.

One Last W For Coach K?

If there’s a school that might have the stones to bring down the Zags, it’s Duke. The Blue Devils have a pedigree like no other in the NCAA Tournament. However, it must be noted that the paper it’s printed on is beginning to yellow.

This is the final March Madness for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, so there’s certainly motivation afoot for his squad. However, the Blue Devils haven’t reached the Final Four since winning the NCAA title in 2014-15. Before that, Duke’s previous Final Four appearance was during a run to the 2009-10 title.

new season 🕺🕺🕺🕺 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/O4vs31QF9R

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 13, 2022

Losses to North Carolina in Krzyzewski’s farewell home game and to Virginia Tech in the AAC Tournament final suggest that this is again a Duke team that will fail on the big stage.

West Region Champion Pick

A bracket that includes other past NCAA champions such as Arkansas, UConn and Michigan State, as well as quality teams such as Texas Tech and Alabama won’t be easily won.

The West Region! 👀#SelectionSunday #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/LyHu0R2JMx

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 13, 2022

Ultimately, the only team the Bulldogs should be concerned with is themselves. If the Zags are on their game, another Final Four berth awaits them.

Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs (-200)

Other March Madness coverage:

• March Madness Odds Favor Gonzaga at +350 After Selection Sunday
• Printable 2022 March Madness Bracket – Make Your Picks for the NCAA Tournament
• West Regional Odds: Gonzaga Odds-On Favorite to Reach Final Four