The BYU Cougars (9-7, 1-0 WCC) will be at McKeon Pavilion to square off against the Saint Mary’s Gaels (9-7, 0-1 WCC) in a WCC matchup. The game starts at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019, and will air on ESPN2.
BYU Cougars at Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Odds
In their last game, the Gaels had no trouble getting past the McNeese State Cowboys, 87-65, while the Cougars fell to the seventh-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack, 86-70.
Saint Mary’s dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a turnover percentage of 7.1 and a free throw rate of 0.167. McNeese State put up marks of 16.8 and 0.119, respectively, for those same stats. BYU, on the other hand, had a better effective field goal percentage (0.420 vs. 0.439). Saint Mary’s was led by Malik Fitts, who contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Yoeli Childs played a key role for BYU with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Gaels held the advantage in this series last year, winning two out of three games. In the most recent game, BYU won 85-72. One of BYU’s largest advantages was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 14-16 (87.5 percent), while the Gaels were just 8-10 (80.0 percent). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
The Cougars’ Childs has been playing well over his last five games, averaging 0 points per game. Meanwhile, Jordan Ford has averaged 0 points during that same time frame for the Gaels.
The high-octane offense of Saint Mary’s (25th in the country with an offensive efficiency of 116.4) will clash against the porous defense of BYU (255th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 104.9). The Gaels figure to have the edge on that side of the ball. It will also be a battle of opposite paces as the fast-breaking Cougars rank 25th in possessions per game, while the slower-paced Gaels rank 326th.
BYU Cougars at Saint Mary’s Gaels Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Saint Mary’s, ATS Winner – Saint Mary’s, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Saint Mary’s ranks 19th in rebounds allowed per game (30.5) while BYU ranks 223rd (38.4).
- The Gaels rank 13th in steals allowed per game (4.7) while the Cougars rank 72nd (5.9).
- BYU ranks 49th in blocks allowed per game (2.8) while Saint Mary’s ranks 76th (3.3).
- The Cougars rank 37th in assists per game (16.4) while the Gaels rank 198th (11.8).
- Saint Mary’s ranks 10th in three pointers allowed per game (17.8) while BYU ranks 152nd (23.3).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Gaels have scored an average of 74.4 points per game (2.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.4 points per game (1.2 below their season average).
- The Cougars’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.0, up from 5.6 for the season.
