Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's Prediction: Can Santa Clara Move on to WCC Finals?
Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's Prediction: Can Santa Clara Move on to WCC Finals?
In the WCC Semifinals, Santa Clara takes on favored Saint Mary's with a trip to the conference championship game on the line. Saint Mary's is making the tournament no matter what, but Santa Clara needs a win. Can the Broncos upset Saint Mary's? More importantly for us, can they cover? NickyBoiCa$hin previews the game and gives us his favorite pick for this showdown out west.
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Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's Prediction
These teams have squared off twice this season, resulting in the home team running off with the win in each game. In their first matchup, Saint Mary's took care of business and defeated Santa Clara, 65-73. In their second matchup, Santa Clara returned the favor by defeating the Gaels 77-72, resulting in a split for the season series.
Now, we move onto their third and final battle of the season with more on the line than either of the previous two meetings. Saint Mary's definitely holds the defensive edge, holding opponents to only 59.4 points per game on the season, but at times they have struggled to score. On the other hand, Santa Clara has a dominant offense that has averaged 78.3 points per game this season, shooting almost 50% from the field. But, the Broncos have lacked on the defensive side.
When looking at this game, especially considering the time of the year, I like to look at what team wants it more than the other. With a loss here, Saint Mary's is basically guaranteed a spot into March Madness, but for Santa Clara, a loss here would mean their season is over. With that being said, I will be rolling with Santa Clara +5 and won't be surprised if they pull out the upset and punch their ticket into Tuesday's WCC Final.
Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's Pick
- PICK: Santa Clara +5 @ -110 (Bet $110 to win $100)