Today's slate of tournament games will make it's way to ESPN for a primetime matchup in the West Coast Conference Tournament as well continue our college basketball odds series. The BYU Cougars (19-14) will meet in the semifinal game against the No. 16 Saint Mary's Gaels (25-6). Check out our college basketball odds series for our BYU-Saint Mary's prediction and pick.
The BYU Cougars ended the regular season with a 7-9 conference record and will not be making the NCAA tournament this year. They have, however, been seeing some traction in this WCC tournament as they've won their first two games by double-digits as a 5-seed. They're in a big spot for an upset in the semis against a ranked Saint Mary's squad poised for the big dance.
The Saint Mary's Gaels have had a great season thus far with a 14-2 WCC record and ended up tied for first with heavyweights Gonzaga. The Gaels are currently projected to enter March Madness as a 6-seed and will hope to add ‘West Coast Tournament Champs' to their list of accomplishments on the year. First, they'll have to get past a stingy BYU squad.
Here are the BYU-Saint Mary's college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
West Coast Tournament Odds: BYU-Saint Mary's Odds
BYU: +6.5 (-102)
Saint Mary's: -6.5 (-120)
Over: 128.5 (-110)
Under: 128.5 (-110)
How To Watch BYU vs. Saint Mary's
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App, fuboTV
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why BYU Could Cover The Spread
The Cougars have failed to make the NCAA tournament this year but are having a good run in the WCC tournament. They managed to beat Portland by 11 in the second round and followed it up with a 10 point win over higher-seeded Loyola Marymount. In those games, BYU shot at least 45% from the field and had some decent success from three. Still, they managed 12 turnovers in both contests and hung in due to their rebounding advantage over both teams. They'll have to be smart and take care of the basketball against a Saint Mary's team that clogs up the passing lanes.
BYU has been good at covering the spread this year at 17-13. In their last six games, the Cougars are 5-1 ATS and additionally, have covered in their last six consecutive meetings with the Gaels. With a moderate spread tonight, odds makers are giving the Cougars a real shot considering how well they've played in this tournament. Look for them to be aggressive on the boards and not give the Gaels any good looks inside.
Why Saint Mary's Could Cover The Spread
The Gaels have had a great season up until this point and have a few ranked wins over Gonzaga and San Diego State. They're slated to be around a 6-seed for March Madness and they're most likely going to have to face Gonzaga again in this tournament. The Gaels have really shined in their defensive efforts this year and average less than 60 PPG to opponents. At 3.6 blocks and 7 steals a game, Saint Mary's is very active on defense and get out in transition quickly. They spread the ball to all their players and can score a number of ways.
Logan Johnson and Aidan Mahaney continue to be a lethal one-two punch for the Gaels. The pair can score the ball efficiently and contribute on the boards as well. They're both very active perimeter defenders and provide a stingy front line for opponents to try and penetrate. If the Gaels can get BYU to struggle from deep, they'll have a great chance to win this game easily and advance to the tournament final.
Final BYU-Saint Mary's Prediction & Pick
BYU's success in this tournament may be the reason for how close the spread is in this game. BYU played Saint Mary's tough in both of their meeting this season, losing games 56-57 and 65-71 respectively. BYU can hang in if their threes begin to fall again, but look for the Gaels to continue their momentum and cover this spread.
Final BYU-Saint Mary's Prediction & Pick: Saint Mary's Gaels -6.5 (-120)
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