The West Coast Tournament continues on Monday night with a couple of big games. The San Francisco Dons and Gonzaga Bulldogs are earlier in the evening, and then the Santa Clara Broncos and Saint Mary’s Gaels follow in the nightcap.
Time for the @WCChoops Tourney!
#17 Gaels take on Santa Clara TONIGHT at 8:30 pm on ESPN2 with a spot in the championship game on the line.
Links ⬇️
?: https://t.co/tYewaneSaZ
?: https://t.co/SZrZMI8ewh
?: https://t.co/cdMI7Q38Id#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/zG8Ti25rad— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) March 7, 2022
Tip-off is scheduled at for 8:30 p.m. PST at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It’s an off-strip casino, though not that far from The Strip. Orleans Arena is attached to the hotel and casino, so it isn’t a bad deal if you’re staying there.
The tickets for West Coast Tournament games are not that pricey. If you are in Las Vegas and looking for cheap entertainment, especially if you’re betting on the games, there are two big games tonight that can be considered to attend.
San Francisco and Gonzaga should be good, but the better finish could be the later matchup. Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s are both quality teams. However, one is going to have to leave the WCC Tournament in the early stages.
Saint Mary’s is coming off a big upset over Gonzaga on Saturday. The Gaels defeated Gonzaga by a score of 67-57 for a standout winner in the regular season finale. That is one way to go into the conference tournament. Could Saint Mary’s get too comfortable after that win, though?
It’s their biggest win in the regular season and right at the end of the year. I don’t know how much Gonzaga cared about the game, so let’s pump the brakes on the Gaels being better than the Bulldogs. In any case, they were good with a record of 24-6 and 12-3 in the conference.
Bringing this energy back to the Orleans tonight ?
Catch us on ESPN2 at 8:30 ?#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/Jmq04YFccE
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) March 8, 2022
Santa Clara isn’t going to be scared of the Gaels, though. Saint Mary’s enters this one on a four-game winning streak and in five of their previous six attempts. The only loss during that time was on February 12 at Gonzaga.
The Broncos have won their last three outings, most recently a 91-67 win over Portland. They beat Saint Mary’s on February 8, 77-72, so this isn’t a game where there should be intimidation.
Head below for our free Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary’s prediction on March 7, 2022.
Santa Clara Broncos vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Odds and Team Statistics:
The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara Broncos | +5 (-110) | +175 | Over 138 (-105) |
| Saint Mary’s Gaels | -5 (-105) | -205 | Under 138 (-115) |
| Team Data | Santa Clara Broncos | Saint Mary’s Gaels |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 21-10 | 24-6 |
| ATS Record | 18-12-1 | 19-9-1 |
| Away/Home Record | NEUTRAL | NEUTRAL |
| ATS Away/Home | NEUTRAL | NEUTRAL |
| Points Per Game | 77.9 | 69.6 |
| Points Against Per Game | 72.3 | 59.4 |
| Field Goal % | 49.2 | 46.2 |
| Three Point % | 38.3 | 34.9 |
Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary’s Prediction:
Saint Mary’s is on upset watch in their first game of the West Coast Tournament. This is a team that just beat Gonzaga, the best in the conference, but it’s hard to count out the Broncos.
Santa Clara is shooting the lights out recently, and it could continue. Overall, the Broncos are the sixth-best team in the NCAA, with a field goal percentage of 49.2%. They’re efficient with 77.9 points per game.
What can make the Broncos so dangerous is their ability to hit quickly from three. The Broncos are connecting at a 38.3% clip from three for 14th in the NCAA. And as I said, Santa Clara is hot at the moment as well.
The Broncos have scored 87 points per game with a 53.4% field goal percentage in their last five outings. This is especially true from three, with a 45.1% three-point percentage.
That’s something most teams would like to shoot from the field, never mind from three. Santa Clara is beatable defensively, but Saint Mary’s tends to go through droughts. This should work in favor of the Broncos.
Santa Clara Broncos vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Trends:
- 7-1 ATS in their previous eight games versus a team with a winning record
- 4-1 ATS in their previous five games as an underdog
- 8-1 ATS in their previous nine games after a win
- 10-2 ATS in their previous 12 games versus the West Coast Conference
- The underdog is 5-1 ATS in their previous six games versus Saint Mary’s
- 1-3-1 ATS in their previous five games on a neutral court as a betting favorite
- 2-5 ATS in their previous seven games on a neutral court
- 1-6 ATS in their previous seven games in March
- 4-1-1 ATS in their previous six games
- UNDER is 4-1 in their previous five games
Saint Mary’s is 215th in the NCAA with 69.6 points per game with a 46.2% field goal percentage. Despite beating Gonzaga, they’re scoring just 64.6 points per game on 44.7% shooting.
The Broncos have their deficiencies defensively, but expect this game to stay close if the offense keeps their offense on this court. They have scored a minimum of 89 points in their last three attempts.
Don’t expect around 90 more points from the Broncos tonight, but likely enough to make this one interesting in the second half. I’d take the points in a game that may come down to the final minutes at the Orleans.
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