The Santa Clara Broncos are set to face the Saint Mary's Gaels. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Santa Clara Saint Mary's prediction, odds, and pick.
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Santa Clara has Jalen Williams, a terrific player who will be counted on to help the Broncos win this West Coast Conference Tournament semifinal game. You might be wondering: “Wait a minute! Isn't there a Jalen Williams on both Arkansas and Auburn, too? This is confusing.”
You're right … but the spelling of “Jalen” on Santa Clara is different from Jaylin Williams of Arkansas and Jaylin Williams of Auburn. J-A-L-E-N is Santa Clara's Williams workhorse and meal ticket scorer. Santa Clara won't get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but the Broncos have a realistic chance at the automatic bid in the WCC Tournament because of Williams, who can carry a team on his back and change the college basketball odds with a brililant performance. Keep this in mind when formulating your Santa Clara Saint Mary's prediction.
Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek made the NCAA Tournament in previous coaching stops at North Carolina State and Arizona State. He has not yet reached the Big Dance at Santa Clara. If he wins this game, he will coach on Tuesday night for a spot in the field of 68. He will try to overcome the Santa Clara Saint Mary's odds.
It won't be easy.
Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett is one of the best tacticians in the sport. Once every few years, he finds a way to flummox the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He did so again in late February, authoring one of the biggest upsets of the college basketball season. Bennett was able to lift Saint Mary's above all the non-Gonzaga members of the West Coast Conference. The Gaels are a lock to be in the NCAA Tournament and will be a dangerous mid-level seed which could create problems in the bracket, something Saint Mary's has done in the past.
When you think about your Santa Clara Saint Mary's pick, you need to remember how good and disciplined the Gaels are on defense, and how they should be able to have the adjustments needed to contain Jalen Williams. Santa Clara won at home in this matchup earlier this season. Saint Mary's and Bennett have been scouting Santa Clara and will be gunning for revenge.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Santa Clara-Saint Mary's odds:
West Coast Conference Tournament Odds: Santa Clara-Saint Mary's Odds
Santa Clara: +5 (-110)
Saint Mary's: -5 (-110)
Over: 138 (-110)
Under: 138 (-110)
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Why Santa Clara Could Cover the Spread
The Broncos have already beaten the Gaels once this season. They can do so again, and Jalen Williams gives them the elite player who can carry them to victory.
Why Saint Mary's Could Cover the Spread
The Gaels should benefit from having lost to Santa Clara earlier in the season. That was a road game. This is on a neutral court. The Gaels are confident after beating Gonzaga and have the better coach in this matchup with Randy Bennett.
Final Santa Clara-Saint Mary's Prediction & Pick
The fact that Santa Clara won at home earlier in the season should put Saint Mary's in a very focused frame of mind. The Gaels aren't going to look ahead to a Tuesday meeting with Gonzaga. They will be highly motivated to avenge their Santa Clara loss.
Final Santa Clara-Saint Mary's Pick: Saint Mary's -5
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