Loyola Marymount vs Gonzaga Prediction 1/4/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Loyola Marymount Lions and the Gonzaga Bulldogs meet Sunday in college basketball action from McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane. Here’s a Loyola Marymount vs Gonzaga prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Loyola Marymount vs Gonzaga pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

LMU Lions Betting Preview

The Lions managed to win seven of their first eight games this year. The lone blemish was a November 24 loss to Florida Atlantic. After three straight losses to Stony Brook, Saint Louis and UC San Diego, LMU managed to take out North Alabama, Morgan State and Pacific in the next four games. In the first 15 outings that would give the Lions a 10-5 record overall.

On Friday versus Washington State, Loyola Marymount went into the second half with a two-point deficit. The Lions kept the pace from there on the way to a tough road loss 78-76 in the end. Jan Vide led the team on 28 points with three assists while Jalen Shelley had 15 points with nine rebounds. Rodney Brown chipped in 12 points in 32 minutes as well.

Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Preview

Over on the Bulldogs’ side, they rolled to a nice 7-0 start this year before taking their first defeat in blowout fashion 101-61 versus Michigan on November 26. After that came wins over Kentucky, North Florida, UCLA, Campbell, Oregon, Pepperdine and San Diego in the next seven games. Through the first 15 outings of the year Gonzaga was looking good at 14-1 overall.

Matched up against Seattle on Friday the Bulldogs were in trouble at the break on a 37-29 deficit. Gonzaga came back on a 36-28 run from there, forcing overtime, and eventually won 80-72. Braden Huff led the team on 28 points with six rebounds and Graham Ike had 24 points with 10 rebounds. Tyon Grant-Foster put up 19 points with five rebounds in the victory effort for the Bulldogs.

Loyola Marymount Lions @ Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Trends: January 4, 2026

Why the Gonzaga Bulldogs will win

• Gonzaga has won each of its last 15 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Loyola Marymount has lost 22 of its last 24 night games against AP-ranked opponents.
• Gonzaga has won the first half in 39 of its last 41 games as a top-10 AP-ranked team at McCarthey Athletic Center.

Loyola Marymount vs Gonzaga Prediction

I’ll lean toward Gonzaga but it’s a coin flip. The Bulldogs weren’t at their sharpest in their overtime win over Seattle, though. Gonzaga shot well from the field (49.2 percent) and had a 44-24 advantage in the paint, but hit just 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) from outside and had double-digit turnovers. It wasn’t the most decisive win in the world but it extended the Bulldogs’ spotless streak to eight games. They’ve scored 80 or more points in each of those outings as well.

As for LMU, they were able to stick with Washington State well in their last outing but couldn’t pull off the road win at Beasley Coliseum. The Lions shot 44.3 percent from the field in that one and had just eight turnovers but also lost the rebounding battle 34-26. Loyola Marymount has scored well lately with 73 or more points in five straight games. If they can keep that run going here, the Lions have a good shot at a cover.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs -23.5