The Gonzaga Bulldogs continue their march towards a perfect season when they face rival Saint Mary’s Gaels in the West Coast Conference semifinals.
The Zags are locked into a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament even if they lose this game, but that seems unlikely due to their 24-0 record and the 17.5-point college basketball betting spread. But is that even enough points for bettors to start thinking about taking the Gaels?
See what we think in our best free Saint Mary's vs. No. 1 Gonzaga picks and predictions for NCAA hoops action on Monday, March 8, with tipoff at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Saint Mary's vs Gonzaga odds
Sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonWith tipoff about 30 minutes out, Gonzaga is at its high point of -18.5 at PointsBet USA, after opening -18 and making a couple of brief stops at -17.5. "Still heavy action on Gonzaga, taking 83 percent of spread bets and 87 percent of handle," PointsBet's Wyatt Yearout said. The total saw some back-and-forth, opening at 141 Sunday afternoon, peaking at 143.5 this morning and reverting to 141 this evening. As of 8:30 p.m. ET, the total is 141.5, with 74 percent of bets/71 percent of money on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameSaint Mary's Gaels vs Gonzaga Bulldogs betting preview
Injuries
Saint Mary's: No injuries to report.
Gonzaga: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 10-1 in Gonzaga's last 11 games as a neutral site favorite. Find more NCAA betting trends for Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
Captain Obvious here to tell you that Gonzaga is on a hot streak. The Zags have won 24 straight basketball games and this may be Mark Few’s strongest squad yet.
Gonzaga’s offense has always been its strong point and this year is no different, ranking No. 1 in the country when it comes to KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency while putting up 92.9 points per game. But what makes this version of the Zags so dangerous is that they rank 10th in adjusted defensive efficiency at the same time.
On the other side, this isn’t the typical Saint Mary’s team that, at the very least, puts up a fight against Gonzaga. The Gaels have won three of their last four games thanks to a strong defense, but scoring has been a problem. Saint Mary’s rank 186th in adjusted offensive efficiency and is averaging just 58.3 points over its last six games.
On top of that, Gonzaga took both meetings against its West Coast Conference rival by an average margin of 18 points per game (hence the spread) and despite the strong Gaels’ defense, the Zags still averaged 80 points in those two contests.
If you take into account the current form of both teams, it’s hard to fade Gonzaga in this spot. Lay the points.
PREDICTION: Gonzaga -17.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
While the side in this matchup is a little tougher to figure out, due to the size of the spread, the total seems a little easier to pin down. That’s because a number of 143 seems almost insulting to the Gonzaga offense.
While Saint Mary’s defense is very good, ranking 12th in adjusted defensive efficiency, it still allowed the Zags to put up 87 points back in their February 18 meeting. And the Zags’ offense is really cooking on offense right now, averaging 93.6 points over the last five games.
If Gonzaga gets near that 87-point mark once again, even the Gaels’ shaky offense should be enough to send this one above the number.
PREDICTION: Over 143 (-110)
Saint Mary's vs Gonzaga betting card
- Gonzaga -17.5 (-110)
- Over 143 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NCAA Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on college basketball?
You can bet on college basketball odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NCAA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of prop odds. Head over to our best sportsbooks for college basketball betting in your area.
