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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Saint Louis-San Francisco prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Saint Louis-San Francisco.
The Thursday slate in college basketball has some objects of curiosity, meaning games which might reveal more of the identity about currently mysterious teams. This is one such game.
The San Francisco Dons let a game slip away versus Memphis a few weeks ago. They need to make up ground, and they cannot afford to lose games at home versus opponents which appear, at least on the surface, to be inferior. San Francisco has been a volatile team this season. In that game against Memphis, it led by nine points but then got dominated for much of the second half and lost the plot … and the game. This past Sunday in a buy game against Mercyhurst, San Francisco played an atrocious first half and trailed at halftime. Then USF came alive and completely dominated in the second half to win in a blowout. College basketball games have 40 scoreboard minutes of playing time, and in a number of games so far this season, San Francisco has had two completely different teams for 20 minutes in each game. Can the good iteration of USF show up for at least 30 minutes if not all 40, and can the bad version become less visible and less frequent a presence in each contest? That is what the Dons have to work on. Their two losses this season came against good teams likely to make the NCAA Tournament. Clemson just beat Kentucky, and Memphis beat UConn and Michigan State last week in Hawaii at the Maui Invitational. It's not as though USF is losing to bad teams, but the inconsistency has to be cleaned up if the Dons are going to make the NCAA Tournament this season.
Saint Louis has lost twice, as has USF, this season. The Billikens fell to Santa Clara and then Wichita State. Those aren't bad teams, but they aren't nearly as good as the Clemson and Memphis teams which defeated San Francisco. That is why you will see, in the betting odds posted below, that San Francisco has been installed as a solid favorite for this contest, which is being played on the Dons' home floor. Saint Louis faces a real test in terms of being able to develop its roster to a higher level, such that it can not merely compete with a team as skilled as San Francisco, but actually win outright. That will be a challenge for SLU, which has to put some meat on the bones of its NCAA Tournament resume. SLU's profile looks very thin right now, but a road win over San Francisco would change that profile in a hurry.
Here are the Saint Louis-San Francisco College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Saint Louis-San Francisco Odds
Saint Louis: +9.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +340
San Francisco: -9.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -450
Over: 150.5 (-114)
Under: 150.5 (-106)
How to Watch Saint Louis vs San Francisco
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN Plus
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Saint Louis Will Cover The Spread/Win
San Francisco is so volatile that Saint Louis should be able to take advantage of those extended sequences in which the Dons don't play well. Saint Louis will cover the large spread.
Why San Francisco Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Dons mashed Boise State earlier this season. When they are on, they are very good. Playing at home should enable them to find — and keep — a good rhythm versus Saint Louis.
Final Saint Louis-San Francisco Prediction & Pick
The lean is to Saint Louis, but we don't fully trust the Billikens. You don't have to bet on this game. Maybe wait for a live play.
Final Saint Louis-San Francisco Prediction & Pick: Saint Louis +9.5
