The Saint Mary’s Gaels (8-1, 0-0 WCC) and San Diego State Aztecs (5-1, 0-0 MWC) Tuesday for a 9 p.m. tip on a neutral court on the campus of Cal State San Luis Obispo. Below, we analyze the St. Mary’s-San Diego State college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Saint Mary’s vs. San Diego State: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:10 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Saint Mary’s +125 (bet $100 to win $125) | San Diego State -150 (bet $150 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Saint Mary’s +2.5 (-110) | San Diego State -2.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 126.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Saint Mary’s vs. San Diego State: Three things to know
- Originally this game was supposed to be played at SMC in Moraga, but strict COVID-19 restrictions in the Bay Area forced this game elsewhere. The two schools agreed to meet halfway between their campuses at Cal State SLO in a strong mid-major battle.
- San Diego State was dropped by another WCC team, BYU, in their most recent game on Dec. 18, 72-62. They’re 1-1 SU/ATS against WCC teams so far this season, beating Pepperdine on Dec. 6. The Over has cashed in three of the past four outings for the Aztecs.
- Saint Mary’s won a defensive battle, 53-33, against Colorado State as six-point favorites. It was a rare Under result, as the Over was 4-0 in the previous four outings. The Gaels have also won eight straight since an opening game loss on a neutral site against Memphis back on Nov. 25.
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Saint Mary’s vs. San Diego State: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
San Diego State 63, Saint Mary’s 61
Money line (ML)
SAN DIEGO STATE (-150) is actually a better play on the money line than against the spread. The Aztecs are going to be ornery after a 10-point loss last time out against BYU, knocking them from the Top 25 rankings. They’re worth the extra juice just playing straight up in what should be a tight defensive battle.
Against the spread (ATS)
Saint Mary’s +2.5 (-110) is the lean, if I were forced to pick a side and stick with it. But again, I prefer San Diego State on the money line instead. This is going to be a fun game, though, and we’ll see both of these sides with high seedings come NCAA Tournament time. PASS.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 126.5 (-115) is a good play, but don’t get carried away. The Over has connected in each of the past two for San Diego State, as their averaging a healthy 73.3 PPG.
But defensively, the Aztecs are allowing 59.5 PPG. St. Mary’s also plays a pretty solid brand of defense, allowing just 60.7 PPG to date. They’re good for 72.3 PPG, and they’re a pretty decent free-throw shooting team at 74.4 percent. However, the Gaels allowed just 33 points last time out.
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