After a dominant first-round performance, the Houston Cougars are moving on to face a familiar March Madness powerhouse in No. 8 seed Gonzaga. The Cougars crushed SIU Edwardsville 78-40, showing why they're a top seed and one of the clear favorites to win the national title.

Madness picks, predictions, odds for Gonzaga vs Houston second-round Midwest Region game on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Who wins?

It’s a cougar on cougar matchup to kick off March Madness as the No. 1-seeded Houston Cougars and No. 16-seeded SIU Edwardsville cougars go head-to-head on Thursday night. Houston earned a No. 1 seed after a 30-4 season, finishing first in the Big 12. SIUE finished second in the Ohio Valley conference with a 22-11 overall record.