The Saint Mary’s Gaels went on the road and upset the Gonzaga Bulldogs to take control of the West Coast Conference a few weeks back. They can wrap it up, for all intents and purposes, by sweeping the season series at home on Saturday.
Both teams might be mid-majors but they are ranked in the top-12 in the country and look like they will be tough outs in March Madness. The conference title usually comes down to Saint Mary’s or Gonzaga and it’s setting up that way once again.
This one figures to be quite competitive but the Gaels will likely be slight favorites because they have the benefit of the home court advantage. But don’t count out the Bulldogs, as they are more than capable of pulling the upset with some solid play.
At 10 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, February 10, 2018, at the McKeon Pavilion.
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Odds Analysis
Gonzaga is 21-4 straight up and 9-14-1 against the spread. The Bulldogs are 2-4-1 against the spread on the road this season. They have only been the underdog twice on the year and didn’t cover in either game. Gonzaga has been in a rut lately, failing to cover in seven consecutive games.
Saint Mary’s is 23-2 straight up and 12-11-1 against the spread. The Gaels have gone 6-6-1 against the spread at home this season. They are 11-11-1 as the favorite. The only time they were the underdog this season was in the previous matchup against Gonzaga, when they pulled the upset.
Player to Watch
Jock Landale – Saint Mary’s leading scorer is hotter than ever right now. The senior center finished with 34 points and 18 rebounds in a win over San Diego State on February 3rd, marking his fourth game of 30 points or more in the last seven.
He had a season-high 37 points and 18 rebounds against Sacramento State earlier this year and has dropped 30 points or more in seven total games this season. Landale is averaging 22.8 points and 10.8 rebounds a game this season and is shooting 65.8 from the field.
In the first matchup against Gonzaga this season, the senior had 26 points and 12 rebounds. He’ll enter this one with a ton of momentum and poses a huge threat to Gonzaga’s defense.
Last Meeting
It was a tight one the first time around between these two teams on January 18th, but Saint Mary’s pulled it off. The Gaels got it done on the road, capturing a 74-71 decision against their first ranked opponent of the season.
The Gaels shot 56.6 percent from the field and went 8-of-13 from behind the line. In addition to Landale’s big double-double, Saint Mary’s had three other players in double-digits including 16 points from senior forward Calvin Hemanson.
Evan Fitzner finished with 23 points off the bench for Gonzaga and Johnathan Williams had 13. The Bulldogs have won five straight since that loss to Saint Mary’s and the Gaels and will take on Pacific on Thursday before the rematch Saturday.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Saint Mary’s has been on quite the roll, as it hasn’t dropped a game since falling to Georgia in the non-conference season. The Gaels are a good team, but Gonzaga is right there with them. This game is a complete toss-up, with the Bulldogs a touch more talented but Saint Mary’s grabbing the home court advantage.
Gonzaga is definitely the right choice against the spread as this one could come down to the very last possession. The Bulldogs are also enticing on the moneyline as they could very well pull off a critical upset.
Gonzaga should be able to keep this game up-tempo, which means the “over” should be considered on the scoring total.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Gonzaga 82, Saint Mary’s 80
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