Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Washington State Cougars CBB Prediction (January 15th, 2026)
At first glance, the Gonzaga Bulldogs appear to be in for an easy matchup on Thursday night, as they’ll be huge 17.5-point favorites to down the Washington State Cougars. DraftKings has the Bulldogs as -2400 betting favorites, meaning if you like the Zags in this one, you need to bet on the spread or find a different wager to target.
There’s also the possibility that the Cougars play Gonzaga a lot tighter than anyone anticipates. It’s easy to overlook the Cougars, as they are just 8-10 overall, but they have played their best ball at home and know Gonzaga well as a fellow rival within the West Coast Conference.
Gonzaga certainly doesn’t want to get tripped up in this spot, of course. Losing to a 17-2 St. Mary’s team would be forgivable, but a loss to the Cougars could drop them considerably from their current perch as the 9th-ranked team in all of college basketball.
So, which side should you take? Is Gonzaga a lock to smoke the Cougars, or can Washington State hold serve at home and beat the spread? I’ve got a Gonzaga vs. Washington State prediction ready to rock, and I’ll also highlight my favorite picks for this contest.
Game Details
- Matchup: Gonzaga Bulldogs (17-1) vs. Washington State Cougars (8-10)
- Date & Time: Thursday, December 15th, at 9:00 pm (10:00 pm ET)
- Venue: Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, WA
- How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network
Early Season Performance & Trends
Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Bulldogs once again look like one of the best teams in college basketball. Legendary head coach Mark Few is still on hand to run a dominant offensive team that terrorizes the WCC, and they’re off to a 17-1 so far this year.
Gonzaga hasn’t had a truly elite team since they made it to the Elite Eight three years ago, but this year’s squad has a significant ceiling and are already inside the top 10.
A brutal 40-point loss to the Michigan Wolverines is a gentle reminder that this team is still human, but Gonzaga also owns solidwins over Santa Clara, UCLA, Alabama, and Creighton.
They still lack a true foundational win against a top-tier team, but Gonzaga’s balance of elite offense and strong defense makes them one of the most formidable teams in the country.
Washington State Cougars
The Cougars haven’t beaten the Bulldogs since 2010, so they will be chomping at the bit to steal a win in front of their home crowd. This season has been a challenging one for them, as they are off to just an 8-10 start and have been absolutely brutal (1-5) away from home.
Washington State has been competitive within the WCC (3-2), however, and they even gave first-place St. Mary’s a scare in an 88-82 thriller in their last game. That shootout may give them the confidence they need to potentially beat this big spread, or even snap a six-game skid in this series.
The Cougars have also done a solid job at home, going 5-3 at Beasley Coliseum. They got off to a rough 3-8 start, but have been a different squad of late, going 5-2 over their last seven games.
Head‑to‑Head / Historical Context
As noted, this series has been one-sided for a bit. These two teams have faced off 151 times, and the Cougars have won 98 of those games, but they haven’t had much success against Gonzaga lately.
The Zags won the most recent meeting (84-63) last year, reminding everyone the gap between these two programs at the moment. Gonzaga is riding a six-game winning streak against Washington State at the moment and is 8-2 over the last 10 meetings.
To Washington State’s credit, most of the recent meetings have been reasonably competitive, especially in relation to this thick point spread. Gonzaga won by 21 in the most recent meeting, but the Cougars have managed to keep it within 18 points in seven of the last eight games in the series.
Key Matchup Breakdown
The Bulldogs put up over 91 points per game, giving them the 5th-best scoring offense in all of college basketball. They are extremely unselfish, dishing out 19.9 assists per game (5th) and also rebounding at an elite rate (5th).
Gonzaga also happens to be the #1 shooting team in the country, as they dominate with their interior scoring, but also connect on 36.9% of their three balls (35th). This is not a high-volume perimeter offense or even one that does a great job at the charity stripe, but they can kill you inside and will hit open threes if you don’t close out.
The Zags get quality play out of guard Tyon Grant-Foster (11.6 points per game) and Braeden Smith (4.7 assists per game) helps quarterback the offense. However, the meat and potatoes of this offense is big men Graham Ike (17.7 ppg) and Braden Huff (17.7 ppg)
Gonzaga has the ability to punish you inside, dominate the boards, and connect on open looks when the defense collapses. In addition, their fast pace of play can force the opposition into silly mistakes and bad shots, which leads to a whopping +23.6 point differential (2nd).
The Cougars have flashed a respectable offensive ceiling at times this year. They put up 82 points and kept it close against St. Mary’s, while they lost a wild shootout to Arizona State (100-94) and put up 90+ points in two other games (both wins).
On the year, Washington State only averages 74.3 points per game; however, they are not a lethal threat in any offensive category. They are respectable at scoring the ball inside (55th), and they are a more reliable free-throw shooting team than Gonzaga, but they otherwise miss the mark in every other key area.
The Cougars typically turn to Aaron Glass (15.9 ppg) to shoulder the scoring burden, while ND Okafor (10.1 ppg) is their only other scorer in double figures on the year. This team lacks reliable playmaking, isn’t a consistent threat from long range, and won’t overpower the Zags down low.
Gonzaga will look to control the pace, as they come in as the fastest offense in the entire country. Nobody pushes the pace like the Bulldogs, which could obviously be a problem for a Cougars team ranking just 217th in pace. Conversely, Washington State could benefit if they’re able to slow this down and dictate the pace on their home floor.
Defensively, Gonzaga is also the team bettors should be able to trust more. They only give up 67.9 points per game (35th), which is pretty wild considering how fast they play. They also have the nation’s second biggest average scoring margin, rank 13th against interior scoring, and defend the three (28.9%) as well as anyone.
Overall, the defensive intensity and fast-paced style both have the Zags standing out as a clear aggressor.
- Gonzaga’s interior offense vs. Washington State’s interior defense: The Bulldogs have two bigs who can dominate this game. They wreck much better interior defenses routinely, so a team ranking 198th in opponent two-point shooting and 257th in opponent shooting efficiency isn’t sending up any red flags.
- Washington State’s perimeter offense vs. Gonzaga’s outside defense: Gonzaga defends the long ball very well, but this is the Cougars’ best path to success. They aren’t going to dominate Gonzaga inside, so they need a big scoring output from Glass, and they need to hit their open shots. Gonzaga allows 26.7 three-point attempts per game, so the opportunities will be there.
- Pace of Play: Another huge factor is how fast this game is played. Washington State might be able to run with the Zags if their outside shot is falling. If it’s not, however, they may opt to try to slow this game down. If they turn it into a slower defensive battle, they could avoid bad turnovers, and better shot selection could give them a chance to keep this game close.
Gonzaga has not been amazing (10-8) against the spread this year, despite a big point differential. They are just 8-8 ATS following a win, just 2-2 ATS as a road favorite, and 2-3 ATS inside their conference.
Washington State has been similar (8-9) against the spread, but they’ve been solid (3-2) inside the conference. They’re just 3-5 ATS as the underdog and 0-1 as a home dog, however.
Betting Odds & Market Interpretation
Check out the latest Gonzaga vs. Washington State betting odds at FanDuel:
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Gonzaga | -17.5 (-106) | -3000 | Over 156.5 (-115) |
Washington State | +17.5 (-114) | +1200 | Under 156.5 (-105) |
This is a fairly big point spread, but it’s not odd for a college basketball game. Gonzaga is a top-10 team that often destroys inferior teams and the Cougars don’t project to be ranked inside the Top 25 at any point this season.
The moneyline is egregious. It’s fair, but you can’t bet on the Zags. The pricing definitely indicates Gonzaga is very unlikely to lose, making Washington State’s ML feel trappy.
This is a healthy game total, which plays into Gonzaga’s fast pace of play and elite scoring ability.
From a Bettor’s Lens
We can’t bet on Gonzaga’s moneyline, probably not even as part of a parlay. The spread is thick, but not so thick that we can’t consider it. The Zags did beat the Cougars by 21 in their most recent meeting after all.
You can take a shot on the Cougars to win. The price is alluring enough, and it’s a conference game, so crazier things have happened. However, this is not a classic trap game, as Gonzaga’s next big game (vs. St. Mary’s) isn’t until the end of the month, and they are well rested after not playing since January 8th.
The game total is something we can exploit. There is always the chance Washington State just gets obliterated, but with Gonzaga’s pace and offensive production, they can do a lot of the heavy-lifting for bettors.
Best Bets & Confidence Levels
| Bet | Recommendation | Confidence Level |
|---|---|---|
Over 156.5 (-115) | Gonzaga can put up 100 points if they want to. Washington State has no real answer for them, so the Zags are going to win and put up points. The pace of play should allow the Cougars to score a bit, plus the WCC rivalry may get them up to compete initially. | 7/10 |
Gonzaga ATS -17.5 (-106) | Gonzaga won the most recent meeting by more than this current spread. It’s a lot of points, but Washington State doesn’t have a scary offense and aren’t elite defensively. I think they can contribute to the Over, but the Bulldogs will pull away and leave no doubt in the end. | 7/10 |
Graham Ike Over 18+ Points Scored (-160) | Ike averages just under 18 points per game, and there’s nothing scary about this matchup. The only question at all is if he’d lose minutes if the game gets out of hand too early. | 7/10 |
Gonzaga vs. Washington State odds continue to adjust as bettors react to the big spread and fast pace — follow every line change, compare prices, and lock in the best betting value at the top sports betting sites.
Final Score Prediction & Closing Thoughts
Final Score Prediction: Gonzaga Bulldogs 95, Washington State Cougars 75
My main Gonzaga vs. Washington State prediction is that we get a relatively high-scoring game that gets us to the Over. This game total isn’t low, but it also shouldn’t be when you have the 5th best offense in college basketball, and one that plays faster than everyone.
That will force Washington State’s hand, which should lead to more three-point volume (and makes), plus a big effort out of top scorer Aaron Glass. I wouldn’t be shocked if they sent Gonzaga a mild scare to start the game, but over the course of this contest the more powerful and potent Zags should enforce their will.
