The Saint Mary’s Gaels (20-10, 11-4 WCC) welcome the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (28-2, 15-0 WCC) to McKeon Pavilion as the regular season wraps up. Action gets underway at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 2, 2019, and can be seen on ESPN.
Gonzaga Bulldogs at Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Odds
Both teams were victorious in their last game. The Gaels beat the Portland Pilots 65-48, while the Bulldogs easily got past the Pacific Tigers 86-66.
Gonzaga dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.273 (matching their season average) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.645 (above their season average of 0.598). Pacific was 0.129 and 0.468, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s’ 0.567 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Portland, who had a rate of 0.368. The Gaels’ mark was above their season average of 0.542, while the Pilots’ was below their season average of 0.481. Saint Mary’s’ Malik Fitts had a good game, contributing 17 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Gonzaga was lifted by Brandon Clarke, who had 21 points and 13 rebounds.
In their first matchup this season, Clarke led the Bulldogs to a 94-46 win. He was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points. Gonzaga made eight of their 18 three pointers (44.4 percent), while Saint Mary’s was just 1-13 (7.7 percent).
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the high-octane offense of Saint Mary’s takes on the top-notch defense of Gonzaga. The Gaels rank 15th in offensive efficiency, while the Bulldogs are sixth in defensive efficiency. The Bulldogs should be expected to protect the ball well. They rank 5th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 14.3 percent), while the Gaels force the 39th-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents’ turnover percentage of 16.5 percent).
Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s Odds Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Gonzaga, ATS Winner – Saint Mary’s, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Gonzaga ranks fourth in assists per game (18.4) while Saint Mary’s ranks 252nd (10.7).
- The Gaels rank third in three pointers allowed per game (16.9) while the Bulldogs rank 114th (21.6).
- Saint Mary’s allows the 14th-fewest steals per game (4.9) while Gonzaga ranks 17th (5.0).
- The Bulldogs rank fifth in blocks per game (5.5) while the Gaels rank 171st (2.6).
- Gonzaga ranks 21st in rebounds per game (39.4) while Saint Mary’s ranks 161st (35.1).
Bettings Trends:
- The Gaels’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 16.2, up from 9.2 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 86.4 points per game (4.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.0 points per game (0.3 below their season average).
