The Maryland Terrapins take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Las Vegas, NV, in the Players Era Festival. Tip-off is set for approximately 9:30 p.m. ET on truTV.
Gonzaga is favored by -13.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1200. The total is set at 155.5 points.
Here’s my Maryland vs. Gonzaga prediction and college basketball picks for November 25, 2025.
Maryland vs Gonzaga Prediction
My Pick: Gonzaga -13.5
My Maryland vs Gonzaga best bet is on the Bulldogs to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Maryland vs. Gonzaga Odds
| Maryland Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13.5 -110 | 155.5 -110o / -110u | +750 |
| Gonzaga Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13.5 -110 | 155.5 -110o / -110u | -1200 |
- Maryland vs Gonzaga spread: Gonzaga -13.5
- Maryland vs Gonzaga over/under: 155.5 points
- Maryland vs Gonzaga moneyline: Maryland +750, Gonzaga -1200
Maryland vs Gonzaga College Basketball Betting Preview
Maryland Basketball
You have to feel for Buzz Williams and Maryland, as it's been an injury-riddled debut season for Williams in College Park.
The Terps have yet to trot out their full complement of weapons, as exciting defensive forward Solomon Washington is still waiting to make his debut.
Washington is likely out again, but the Terps got back stud big man Pharrel Payne and guard Myles Rice back for the UNLV game.
I'm still unsure how good Maryland is, even with Payne and Rice back.
The DNA of Williams-coached teams at Texas A&M was battering teams on the offensive glass. Maryland ranks 161st in defensive rebounding rate, so that DNA stayed in College Station.
Maryland played a pair of Big East opponents this season, losing at home to Georgetown and beating Marquette in Wisconsin. In the loss to Georgetown, Maryland went a terrible 4-for-21 from downtown and scored 0.88 PPP. Against Marquette, the Terps scored 1.16 PPP but went 23-for-27 from the foul line.
Which is the real Maryland? I think it's closer to the Georgetown version. That Marquette game tells me more about Marquette than Maryland. Plus, the healthiest version of Maryland, to date, was in the game against the Hoyas.
With Rice returning, it creates a very small backcourt alongside David Coit. Maryland likely has to play Coit, though. He leads the team in scoring, and he can erupt for a 25+ performance any time. He's just a bit erratic, and the defense with him and Rice is a nightmare.
So, the best path to Maryland having a chance at the NCAA Tournament is letting the guards fire from deep. The defense will struggle, but this team is built to score, not to defend, at least until Washington returns.
Gonzaga will have the backcourt height advantage with 6-foot-3 guards Adam Miller and Mario Saint-Supery.
Gonzaga Basketball
Gonzaga is built to trounce middling high-major opponents. Just ask Oklahoma (which lost by 15), Arizona State (which lost by 12) and Creighton (which lost by 27). According to KenPom, Maryland is the third-worst of the four teams.
The Bulldogs' defense continues to impress, ranking sixth in KenPom's defensive efficiency. They also have strong on-ball pressure, leading to a 22.7% turnover rate. It's not turnover-or-bust for the Zags; they also hold teams to 23.6% shooting from deep and 41% from 2-point range.
While 3-point variance plays a big factor in the perimeter shooting numbers, that's not why the Zags' defense is elite. Their ability to turn teams over and keep teams from scoring at the hoop is why this defense is elite.
Gonzaga has some question marks in the shooting department, but it still ranks in the top 10 in offensive efficiency.
Stopping the big-man duo of Graham Ike and Braden Huff is a brutal task for any opponent. Ike is the Zags' leader with 19.2 points per game and Huff is second with 14.2 points a night.
After them, it's a by-committee approach to find the next go-to scorer.
Maryland vs. Gonzaga Betting Analysis
I'm backing Gonzaga here. A lot of underdogs have covered in the Players Era Festival, so I understand if you want to follow that trend.
For me, Maryland is totally overmatched, and Gonzaga plays the ideal pace to blow an inferior foe out.
Outside of the Alabama game, Gonzaga crushed all five of its opponents, and this feels like the same thing.
The Maryland guards will struggle against the Zags' on-ball defense, and Payne will have to deal with Ike's size on the block.
I'm going with the blowout.
My Pick: Gonzaga -13.5
