After trouncing No. 2 Michigan in the NCAA Sweet 16, No. 3 Texas Tech looks to advance to its first Final Four with a win over top-seeded Gonzaga Saturday in the West Regional Final. Here’s Howie Kussoy’s March Madness prediction for this Elite 8 matchup.

Texas Tech (+4) over Gonzaga (6:09 p.m., TBS): I’ll take the nation’s best defense over the nation’s highest-scoring offense. No team has looked better than the Red Raiders in the tournament, and no level of offensive brilliance is as trustworthy as Tech’s relentless defense. A Northern Kentucky team averaging 79.1 points per game put up 57 against them in a First Round loss.

A Buffalo team averaging 84.9 points was held to 58 in Round 2. A Michigan team averaging 70.7 points put up 44 in the Sweet 16, with the Red Raiders limiting them to 1-of-19 3-point shooting.

Tech’s defense never takes a night off. And the Red Raiders’ defense makes it a lot more likely the Zags have an off night shooting.

This season: 30-30-1

2011-18 record: 224-189-8