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The Santa Clara Broncos take on the Saint Mary's Gaels. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Santa Clara Saint Mary's prediction and pick. Find how to watch Santa Clara Saint Mary's.
If you have followed West Coast Conference college basketball for any appreciable length of time, you know that the Saint Mary's Gaels have been the main challenger and obstacle for the Gonzaga Bulldogs for the past decade and a half. If Gonzaga, the juggernaut of the WCC, hasn't won the league or the conference tournament over the past 15 years, Saint Mary's is the team which has gotten in the way of the Zags far more than any other school. BYU has had a few moments of quality, but the Cougars are now in the Big 12 Conference. The WCC entered this season the way it entered most of the past 15 seasons: with Saint Mary's and Gonzaga projected to be the top two teams.
The Santa Clara Broncos are trying to bust up that pattern. The Broncos are 6-1 in the WCC, one game behind 7-0 Saint Mary's and half a game behind 7-1 and second-place Gonzaga. Santa Clara defeated Gonzaga this year, the first time since 2011 that the Broncos have defeated the Zags. That's half of the formula for Santa Clara, but not all of it. The Broncos now have to beat Saint Mary's if they want to have a realistic shot at the WCC championship. Saint Mary's won earlier this season at Santa Clara, so the Broncos have to avenge that loss on SMC's home floor in Moraga, California, if they want to share the WCC title or maybe win it outright. Saint Mary's struggled badly in nonconference play but has straightened things out against WCC opponents. It sets the stage for a very interesting battle on the final night of January.
Here are the Santa Clara-Saint Mary's College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Santa Clara-Saint Mary's Odds
Santa Clara Broncos: +13.5 (-110)
Saint Mary's Gaels: -13.5 (-110)
Over: 135.5 (-110)
Under: 135.5 (-110)
How To Watch Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's
Time: 11:00 pm ET / 8:00 pm PT
TV: ESPNU
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Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Santa Clara Could Cover the Spread
The Broncos are 6-1 in the WCC. They have beaten Gonzaga. They're a good team. They're getting a whopping 13.5 points against a Saint Mary's team which must win the WCC automatic bid (conference tournament) in order to make the NCAA Tournament. Let's remember that point. Saint Mary's has had a good month of WCC basketball, but overall, the Gaels are not an especially good team. They will not get an at-large bid to March Madness. Surely Santa Clara can stay within 13 points of the Gaels and cover the spread.
Why Saint Mary's Could Cover the Spread
The Gaels already beat Santa Clara on the road. Now they get them in a rematch at home. Santa Clara might try hard to win, but Saint Mary's is playing well and focused in WCC competition. The Gaels were a mess in November and December but have become, in January, the team most people expected to see at the start of the season. SMC's familiarity with Santa Clara should prevent the Gaels from being caught off guard in any meaningful way. They will establish a big lead and pull away for a blowout win.
Final Santa Clara-Saint Mary's Prediction & Pick
Santa Clara should win outright, but this is a lot of points to give. Take Santa Clara.
Final Santa Clara-Saint Mary's Prediction & Pick: Santa Clara +13.5
