No. 8 Baylor heads to the Pacific Northwest to face No. 6 Gonzaga on college basketball's opening night Monday at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington, in one of the biggest nonconference matchups of the 2024-25 season. The heavyweight clash between preseason top-10 programs is the main event of an exciting opening day across the sport after last season didn't feature a single ranked-on-ranked matchup on opening night.
Gonzaga and Baylor agreed to this showdown back in September. This game will mark a rematch of the 2021 national title game won by Scott Drew and Baylor to give the program its first national championship. Gonzaga entered that game 31-0 before the 86-70 loss in the final game of the 2020-21 campaign.
The Bears will look different this season with the additions of former Duke guard Jeremy Roach and Miami big man Norchad Omier -- two of the top-ranked transfers available. Baylor also added five-star guard VJ Edgecombe, who ranked as the No. 5 overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle by 247Sports and is a projected top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
As for Gonzaga, Mark Few and Co. bring back a majority of the team's core that reached the Sweet 16 last season. That roster includes Ryan Nembhard, Graham Ike and Ben Gregg. The Bulldogs added former Arkansas guard Khalif Battle and Pepperdine forward Michael Ajayi to bolster the roster.
How to watch Gonzaga vs. Baylor live
Date: Monday, Nov. 4 | Time: 11:30 p.m. ET
Location: Spokane Arena -- Spokane, Washington
TV: ESPN2 | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Gonzaga vs. Baylor prediction, picks
College basketball betting odds via BetMGM Sportsbook. Use BetMGM promo to get in the game.
This will be a de facto home game for Gonzaga given the close proximity of Spokane Arena to the Zags; campus. The x-factor in this game will be Edgecombe, who showed flashes of what he can be at this level while playing for the Bahamian National Team. This game is legitimately a toss-up because of how good both sides are. Baylor wins in a close one if it can overcome the home-court advantage the Bulldogs will have. Prediction: Baylor +3.5