The Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the Saint Mary's Gaels. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Gonzaga Saint Mary's prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Gonzaga Saint Mary's.
The Saint Mary's Gaels have not yet lost a game in WCC play. Coach Randy Bennett won his 500th career game on Thursday night when SMC defeated the San Francisco Dons. Saint Mary's has defeated every non-Gonzaga opponent in its conference.
Now comes the king. Can Saint Mary's take away Mark Few's crown?
This is the signature rivalry in West Coast Conference basketball. It has been for years, and it remains so now. Gonzaga was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, a true colossus, the past few years. Gonzaga has made itself a superpower, which is something Saint Mary's can't claim. Yet, the Gaels have clearly maintained their place as the second-best program in the WCC, an annual NCAA Tournament team, and a worthy challenger to the big boys from Spokane.
The plot twist this year: Saint Mary's actually has a chance to win the WCC regular-season championship, vaulting over GU.
The Gaels are alone in first place in the league, since Gonzaga lost at home to Loyola Marymount. The Gaels know that a series split against Gonzaga and wins in all remaining non-GU games will give SMC the regular-season WCC championship and the No. 1 seed at the WCC Tournament. That's a huge goal for Randy Bennett and his team in a highly-anticipated duel.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Gonzaga-Saint Mary's College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Gonzaga-Saint Mary's Odds
Gonzaga Bulldogs: +2.5 (-102)
Saint Mary's Gaels: -2.5 (-120)
Over: 136.5 (-114)
Under: 136.5 (-106)
How To Watch Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. PT
*Watch Gonzaga-Saint Mary's LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Gonzaga Could Cover the Spread
This team is not nearly as good as the past few editions of Gonzaga basketball, but you know the Zags are going to pour everything into this game. Weirdly but genuinely, they're not the hunted team in this game. They usually are, given that they often pursue No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, but that kind of pressure doesn't exist this year. This time, it's Saint Mary's which has to defend its top position, and Gonzaga is the chaser trying to catch the Gaels. That dynamic could unlock a really good performance from this team, much as Gonzaga was not the clear favorite against Alabama in Birmingham (a one-point favorite, but not obviously expected to win), but then played its best game of the season in a 10-point win over the Crimson Tide, who are likely to be a No. 1 seed in March. The psychology is something which can really help GU here.
Why Saint Mary's Could Cover the Spread
The Gaels' unbeaten WCC record is hard to ignore or bet against. The game is in Moraga, where a loud crowd will be backing Saint Mary's. Randy Bennett is such a good game-plan coach. He will find the right tactics his team can use against Mark Few. Also, this is not an elite Gonzaga offense. It doesn't have the point guard — Jalen Suggs in 2021 or Andrew Nembhard in 2022 — who can orchestrate an offense and run it to perfection. Saint Mary's loves to muck it up against the Zags and against everyone else. The Gaels can slow the game down, play it in the low 60s or high 50s (instead of the high 70s or low 80s, which is where Gonzaga wants it), and win by four points.
Final Gonzaga-Saint Mary's Prediction & Pick
The Gaels are tough, but Gonzaga in an underdog position is hard to resist. This should be a fun game. You could stay away from betting so that you can simply enjoy it, but GU is a very intriguing play to make.
Final Gonzaga-Saint Mary's Prediction & Pick: Gonzaga +2.5
Follow Us
Subscribe