No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-2, 13-0 WCC) visit the No. 23 Saint Mary’s Gaels (23-6, 11-3) Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (on ESPN). Below, we look at the Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Gonzaga has won 17 in a row, last losing Dec. 4 to now-No. 25 Alabama 91-82 on a neutral floor in Seattle.
The Zags are 8-3-2 against the spread (ATS) since Jan. 1 and 14-10-2 ATS this season. The Bulldogs are a perfect 5-0 on the road. They’re led by C Drew Timme (18.1 points per game) and freshman phenom C Chet Holmgren (14.7 points and team-high 9.8 rebounds per game).
Gonzaga beat Saint Mary’s 74-58 Feb. 12, pushing as a 16-point home favorite. Saint Mary’s is 18-9-1 ATS and a perfect 15-0 straight up at home.
The Gaels are led by F Matthias Tass (12.4 points per game), who is joined by three teammates also averaging double figures in scoring.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:03 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Gonzaga -700 (bet $700 to win $100) | Saint Mary’s +470 (bet $100 to win $470)
- Against the spread: Gonzaga -10.5 (-120) | Saint Mary’s +10.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 144.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
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Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Gonzaga 75, Saint Mary’s 62
Money line
PASS.
The -700 price for a Gonzaga win is unplayable, although extremely likely. At home, the Zags beat Saint Mary’s by 16 earlier in the season. Betting on a Gaels’ upset at +470 also isn’t a smart play.
Against the spread
LEAN to GONZAGA -10.5 (-120).
It’s not easy to consistently cover a 30-point spread, but Gonzaga has consistently covered spreads of 15 points or less. In the 15-points or less situation, the Bulldogs covered its last 3 (at San Francisco, at BYU and vs. BYU).
Saint Mary’s has been terrific ATS but lost by 16 in the push last time it played Gonzaga, which led by 13 at the half. Timme was 11-for-16 from the field for the Zags in that matchup.
The Bulldogs are a dominant side and have been reliable in conference play, going 8-3-2 ATS.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 144.5 (-108).
Despite the Zags’ high-pace offense, the Gaels held the Bulldogs to just 74 points in the first meeting. Saint Mary’s has been terrific defensively, ranking 11th in the nation in opponents’ points per game (59.5).
Offensively, the Gaels average just 69.7 points per game. So, as long as they limit the Bulldogs, similar to what they did last time, the Under should be the better play.
Both teams have also consistently hit the Under with Gonzaga 11-15 O/U and Saint Mary’s 13-14-1 O/U.
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