The San Francisco Dons (15-9, 4-5 WCC) visit the No. 18 Saint Mary’s Gaels (19-4, 8-0) for a West Coast Conference battle Thursday night. Tip-off at University Credit Union Pavilion in Moraga is at 11 p.m. ET (ESPNU). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the San Francisco vs. Saint Mary’s odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
San Francisco is on a 3-game win streak straight up and against the spread (ATS). Its last loss was to these Gaels in a Jan. 14 home game, 78-61 as 7.5-point underdogs. The Dons are 0-7 ATS vs. Saint Mary’s in the last 7 meetings.
The Gaels play at a plodding pace and sport 1 of the most efficient defenses in the nation. The dual effect has Saint Mary’s yielding just 57.1 points per game, which ranks 4th in NCAA-I. Since Dec. 21, SMC is 10-0 SU and 6-2-1 ATS.
Rankings courtesy the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Can you survive? New pro and college basketball survivor pools are here at USA TODAY Sports! Free to play; terms and conditions apply. Join now!
San Francisco at Saint Mary’s odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:11 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: San Francisco +525 (bet $100 to win $525) | Saint Mary’s -850 (bet $850 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): San Francisco +12.5 (-115) | Saint Mary’s -12.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 129.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Catch the excitement and bet with Tipico
Double Down, Ohio! Deposit $200, Get $250. Bet now!
In Colorado and New Jersey, claim your 100% Deposit Match up to $250 now. Bet now! 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions.
San Francisco at Saint Mary’s picks and predictions
Prediction
Saint Mary’s 70, San Francisco 63
Moneyline
PASS.
Saint Mary’s will win but it unplayable at -850.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Against the spread
The Dons are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against teams playing .600 basketball.
A good shooting team like USF can give the Gaels problems. The Dons have shot 47.9% from distance over their last 3 games and launch triples at a top-5 rate nationally. In recent conference games against frequent 3-bombers Loyola-Marymount and BYU, the Gaels logged an ATS push and ATS loss, respectively. SMC also registered earlier ATS losses against Colorado State, Oral Roberts, and Southern. They are all similar in where their points are generated.
BACK THE DONS +12.5 (-115).
Over/Under
Nothing to argue here in a game pitting lots of speed (USF) against almost none (SMC). PASS.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want action on this basketball game or any other sports contest? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in OH, CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]