The No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats in Nashville tonight.
This is the fourth consecutive season that these schools have faced each other in non-conference play, and my Gonzaga vs. Kentucky predictions are backing the Zags to get revenge for a heartbreaking loss last year.
Here are my best free college basketball picks for this marquee matchup on Friday, December 5.
Gonzaga vs Kentucky prediction
Gonzaga vs Kentucky best bet: Gonzaga -5 (-110)
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are coming off the worst loss of the Mark Few era, losing by 40 points to a Michigan squad that's been steamrolling foes. That said, the Zags won their first seven games of the season, which included double-digit victories against No. 12 Alabama, Creighton, and Oklahoma.
Although the Kentucky Wildcats are 5-3, their resume is a bit worrying. All five of their wins came at home against bad small-conference teams, with four ranking outside the Top 250 at KenPom.
That includes UK's last game when it lost at home to North Carolina as 5.5-point faves. The Wildcats gave up 17 offensive rebounds in that game, which is a troubling sign against the Bulldogs, who rank 23rd nationally in offensive rebounding rate.
The Wildcats do a great job of defending the arc, but the Zags don't rely on threes and prefer to get the ball inside, where they shoot a sizzling 59.5% from 2-point range.
This Kentucky squad is still adjusting to a lot of new faces and isn't at full strength. Top transfer Jayden Quaintance has yet to make his school debut, while point guard Jaland Lowe and defensive ace Mo Dioubate are injured.
The Bulldogs are also more disruptive on defense and sit 33rd in the country in opponent turnover rate, while UK is 262nd. Back the Zags to pull away tonight.
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Gonzaga vs Kentucky same-game parlay
Graham Ike is coming off an ugly performance against Michigan, where he went 0-for-9 from the field. However, he entered that contest averaging 17 points per game on 54.4% shooting.
Ike was a First-Team All-WCC selection the past two years, coming off a season where he averaged 17.3 points per game in just 23.0 minutes. If he gets more playing time in competitive matchups, he should feast on a UK frontcourt that’s missing Dioubate.
These teams have offensive firepower and love to push the pace. Kentucky is 21st in the country in average possession length (15.0 seconds), with Gonzaga trailing close behind at 15.5 seconds.
Both sides also take care of the ball and prefer to get inside for higher-percentage looks at the basket. That tends to make these offenses more consistent since 3-point shooting can have a high variance from game to game. That has me taking the Over 159.5 in this SGP.
Gonzaga vs Kentucky SGP
- Gonzaga -5
- Over 159.5
- Graham Ike Over 16.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Super Mario
Gonzaga big man Braden Huff has hit just two treys this year, and he knocked down a triple in only eight of 34 games last season. He'll have a tough time converting from downtown against a UK side that holds foes to 27.9% shooting from deep.
Mario Saint-Supery has taken over lead ball-handling duties as a freshman and has dropped 6+ dimes in four-straight games.
Gonzaga vs Kentucky SGP
- Gonzaga -5
- Over 159.5
- Graham Ike Over 16.5 points
- Braden Huff Under 0.5 threes
- Mario Saint-Supery Over 5.5 assists
Gonzaga vs Kentucky odds
- Spread: Gonzaga -5 (-110) | Kentucky +5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Gonzaga -220 | Kentucky +180
- Over/Under: Over 159.5 (-110) | Under 159.5 (-110)
Gonzaga vs Kentucky betting trend to know
The Zags have hit the first-half game total Over in 21 of their last 35 games (+4.55 Units / 11% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Gonzaga vs. Kentucky.
How to watch Gonzaga vs Kentucky
| Location | Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN |
| Date | Friday, December 5, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
Gonzaga vs Kentucky key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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