The No. 22 Saint Mary’s Gaels (26-4, 15-2 WCC) and Santa Clara Broncos (11-18, 8-9 WCC) will face off at McKeon Pavilion to close out the regular season. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 24, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN Full Court.
Santa Clara Broncos vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels ATS Preview
In the Broncos last matchup, they lost a tough one against the Loyola Marymount Lions, 65-64. Santa Clara’s KJ Feagin had a solid performance, leading both teams in scoring with 29 points on 11-for-22 shooting. Loyola Marymount had a better effective field goal percentage (0.540 vs. 0.465). Santa Clara, meanwhile, had a better turnover percentage (13.9 vs. 17.4).
The Gaels hope to maintain momentum after beating the Pepperdine Waves in their last contest, 75-61. Saint Mary’s rallied around Jordan Ford, who was the top scorer from either team with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Saint Mary’s played a nearly flawless game. They had a fantastic offensive rebounding percentage of 33.3 (above their season average of 28.3) and a turnover percentage of 4.3 (better than their season average of 13.5). Pepperdine was 18.8 and 6.2, respectively, for those same stats.
Saint Mary’s could have their way on the offensive side of the ball as their high-powered offense squares off against one of the worst defenses in the NCAA. The Gaels currently rank third in offensive efficiency, while Santa Clara ranks 300th in defensive efficiency. Additionally, put-back points figure to be rare for the Broncos. They rank 329th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage at 22.9 percent, while the Gaels are 15th-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 77.0 percent).
Feagin has taken his game to another level over the last five games for Santa Clara, averaging 18.2 points, 6.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
These teams have already met once this season. The Gaels won 81-57. The Gaels played a nearly flawless game. They had a turnover percentage of 12.5 and an extraordinary effective field goal percentage of 0.629. The Broncos had marks of 18.7 and 0.450, respectively, for those same stats. Jock Landale recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Santa Clara Broncos at Saint Mary’s Gaels Prediction
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Saint Mary’s, ATS Winner – Saint Mary’s, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Broncos rank 195th in steals per game (5.4) while the Gaels rank 246th (4.5).
- Saint Mary’s averages 16.2 assists per game, which ranks 34th in the NCAA. Santa Clara ranks 251st in assists allowed per game (16.0).
- The Gaels rank first in rebounds allowed per game (27.9) while the Broncos rank 100th (33.5).
- Santa Clara ranks 151st in three pointers attempted per game (22.0) while Saint Mary’s ranks 245th (19.1).
Betting Trends:
- The Gaels average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.4, down from 13.2 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Broncos have scored an average of 69.0 points per game (2.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 69.8 points per game (1.6 below their season average).
