The LMU Lions take on the Santa Clara Broncos. Check out our college basketball odds series for our LMU Santa Clara prediction and pick. Find how to watch LMU Santa Clara.

When the Santa Clara Broncos defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs earlier this season, they did something which hadn’t been done in over a decade. The last time Santa Clara beat Gonzaga was in 2011, so there was reason to think that the Broncos — having achieved something truly special and rare — could make the push upward in the West Coast Conference and threaten the existing power structure. Saint Mary’s looked well below average in the first two months of the season, losing to Missouri State, Weber State, and Utah and losing a majority of its first seven games. Gonzaga is much worse this season than it has been in quite some time. A program which typically gets a very high seed in the NCAA Tournament and makes the Sweet 16 is currently on the bubble, fighting for its existence as the month of March approaches. With Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga, the two longtime kings of the WCC, struggling for considerable lengths of time within this season, Santa Clara had reason to think it could challenge for the league title.

It simply hasn’t worked out that way. Saint Mary’s, for one thing, has steadied the ship and has failed to lose a single WCC game. The Gaels have been rock-solid after being so wobbly in November and December. Gonzaga has gotten better in recent weeks, and the Zags are beginning to look more like themselves. Santa Clara couldn’t control either of those realities. However, Santa Clara could control its own response to various situations, and the Broncos just haven’t been good enough in the WCC.

Santa Clara lost by 11 points at home to San Diego in a clunker, the kind of game which has prevented the Broncos from being more of a factor in the West Coast Conference. The Broncos also let a late lead slip away in a devastating one-point loss at San Francisco. Those two stumbles are why the Broncos are 8-4 in the WCC and buried in fourth place, instead of being 10-2 with a chance to get second place and apply pressure on first-place Saint Mary’s. Santa Clara can only try to remain in the top four and see if it can do something special at the upcoming WCC Tournament.

Here are the LMU-Santa Clara College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: LMU-Santa Clara Odds

LMU Lions: +9.5 (-110)

Santa Clara Broncos: -9.5 (-110)

Over: 146.5 (-115)

Under: 146.5 (-105)

How To Watch LMU vs Santa Clara

Time: 11:00 pm ET / 8:00 pm PT

TV: CBS Sports Network

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why LMU Could Cover the Spread

Santa Clara is a respectable team in fourth place in the WCC, but the Broncos have 10 losses this season and have not been able to truly separate themselves from the competition. They’re a fine team, but not a special team with anything that marks them as elite or upper-tier. They’re okay. They’re not especially good. LMU is not a good team, but it is playing an opponent which is not playing with a maximum of confidence or quality. Keep in mind that Santa Clara annually throws in a home-court clunker such as the 11-point loss to San Diego. Santa Clara fell behind Pepperdine 15-2 at home a few weeks ago before rallying. LMU is getting almost 10 points. The Lions just need one really good half — in which they lead by five to seven points — in order to cover the spread over 40 minutes. They could lose the other half by 12 points but still cover the number.

Why Santa Clara Could Cover the Spread

The Broncos do throw in some home-court clunkers, but they also play a few home games a year in which they are authoritative and dominant. LMU is a bad team, languishing near the bottom of the WCC. Santa Clara is clearly better and — should it start well — is in position to win this game by 20 points.

Final LMU-Santa Clara Prediction & Pick

Santa Clara is simply not a team a bettor should trust. Stay away from this game.

Final LMU-Santa Clara Prediction & Pick: Santa Clara -9.5