The Gonzaga Bulldogs will face the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers this evening in a South Region clash at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The contest is scheduled to get underway at 8:10pm ET and will be broadcast live on CBS. If the fifth seeded Bulldogs can get past Western Kentucky, they will play either North Carolina or LSU in the Regionals next weekend. 
Western Kentucky vs Gonzaga NCAA Tournament Picks at SBGglobal.com have the Bulldogs pegged as a -11.5 against the spread favorite.
Western Kentucky moved to 25-8 when they dispatched the Illinois Fighting Illini 76-72 in Portland on Thursday. The Hilltoppers also extended their current winning streak to eight games while improving to 4-1 in neutral site action. Ken McDonald's squad is now averaging 71.9 points per game on the season.
The Hilltoppers connected on 48.2 percent of their field goal attempts against the Illini and they nailed 9-of-19 from beyond the arc. Five players reached double figures for WKU, but guards/forwards Steffphon Pettigrew and Sergio Kerusch did the bulk of the work, combining for 31 points and 15 rebounds in the victory.
Gonzaga had little trouble in their first round game, beating the Akron Zips 77-64 at the Rose Garden on Thursday to garner their 10th consecutive win. The Bulldogs improved their overall record to 27-5 and their neutral site tally to an impressive 7-1. Mark Few's troops have now won 19 of their last 20 games, the lone loss coming against the Memphis Tigers.
The Bulldogs hit 52.3 percent from the floor while holding Akron to a lackluster 36.8 percent. They also did well at the charity stripe, dropping 26 of their 31 free throw attempts. Four starters reached double figures for the Zags with forward Josh Heytvelt leading the way. The senior scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the decisive win.
SBGglobal.com's Western Kentucky vs Gonzaga NCAA Tournament Picks:
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers +11.5 (-110), Over 144.5 (-110)
Gonzaga Bulldogs -11.5 (-110), Under 144.5 (-110)
