Let the madness begin! The 64-team bracket is officially set, and we’ve got plenty of talented players, rosters, and Cinderellas ready to dance. #12 Gonzaga and #5 Ole Miss face off today in the Women’s First Round, with the Rebels entering as 14.5-point favorites and a total set at 135.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Let’s dive into my prediction and pick for Friday’s First Round matchup, tipping off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Gonzaga vs. Ole Miss prediction
Ole Miss is familiar with March dancing. Last season, the Lady Rebels made a deep run to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to No. 1 seed UCLA, but this year, the squad looks a little different. The 2026 Rebels finished 23-11 overall and .500 in SEC play, led by Ohio State transfer and All-American Cotie McMahon, who’s averaging 19.9 PPG and 3.0 APG. Forward Christeen Iwuala has been a force on the glass with 8.4 RPG to go with 12.7 PPG, while Latasha Lattimore adds 10.9 PPG to give Ole Miss a steady scoring floor heading into this matchup.
On the other side, Gonzaga comes in at 24-9 overall and 14-4 in the WCC — another program comfortable in this spot. The Bulldogs have now made nine NCAA Tournament appearances and reached the Sweet Sixteen as recently as 2024. They’re led by 6’3″ freshman Lauren Whittaker, who’s been dominant with a 19.4-point, 10.2-rebound double-double, ranking top-25 nationally on the boards. Allie Turner adds another layer as a knockdown shooter and primary playmaker, hitting 46.7% from three while averaging 3.5 assists.
The difference in this one could come down to perimeter shooting. Gonzaga has four players shooting over 42% from deep, while Tianna Thompson is the only Rebel above 40%. If the Bulldogs find an early rhythm from three, this game could quickly turn into a grind where shot-making dictates everything.
Gonzaga vs. Ole Miss pick
As of Friday afternoon, 92% of the bets are on Ole Miss to snatch a victory, while just 8% are on the ‘dogs — that was not an intended pun, I promise. While Ole Miss may have the edge on paper, this feels like a matchup that could end up much tighter than the line suggests.
Lean: Ole Miss ML
