Saint Mary’s Gaels vs Portland Pilots NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25

Planning on watching today’s Gaels and Pilots game? Catch the action at Chiles Center in Portland, OR, as the Pilots hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. In this West Coast matchup, Saint Mary’s is favored bt -18.5 vs. Portland. The over/under for the game is 139.5 points.

SAINT MARY’S GAELS VS PORTLAND PILOTS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Portland Pilots +18.5

This game will be played at Chiles Center at 10:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.

WHY BET THE PORTLAND PILOTS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Pilots.
• Not only will Portland pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +18.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 139.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Is a Road Win Possible for Saint Mary’s?

Saint Mary’s Gaels Recent Game/Games

Saint Mary’s improved to 11-3 on the season with a dominant 71-41 win over Pepperdine on Thursday. Playing at home, the Gaels entered as 17-point favorites and covered the spread. The game’s total points of 112 fell well short of the O/U line of 141.5.

Saint Mary’s took control early, leading 35-20 at halftime, and continued their strong play in the second half, outscoring Pepperdine 36-21.

Saint Mary’s put up 71 points in their latest game, shooting 41.2% from the field. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 20.7% of their threes (6/29), but were strong inside, connecting on 56.4% of their two-point attempts (22/39).

The Gaels grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and dished out 19 assists. Luke Barrett led the team with 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Moe Odum and Mikey Lewis each added 14 points, with Odum shooting 50% from three.

Saint Mary’s Gaels put on a defensive clinic, holding their opponent to just 41 points. Despite allowing 56% shooting from two-point range, the Gaels limited damage from beyond the arc, where their opponent shot just 20% (6/29).

From the free-throw line, Saint Mary’s sent their opponent to the stripe 11 times, where they converted 9 attempts (81%). The Gaels also gave up 19 offensive rebounds in the game.

Will the Portland Defense Show Up at Home?

Portland’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 3-11 after an 81-50 loss to Gonzaga on Thursday. The Pilots were heavy underdogs at +34.5 going into the game, but they managed to cover the spread.

Portland was down 35-17 at halftime but scored 33 points in the 2nd half while allowing 46. The total points for the game were 131, well under the O/U line of 158.5.

Portland struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 50 points with a field goal percentage of 33.3% (21/63). Their effective field goal percentage was 36.5%, and they hit only 4 of 25 from beyond the arc, shooting 16% from three-point range.

Nolan Hickman led the way with 13 points, hitting 3 of 5 from deep, while Vincent Delano and Dusty Stromer each added 12 points. The Pilots managed just 10 assists and 10 offensive rebounds, with Delano contributing 2 assists and 4 rebounds.

Portland’s defense gave up 81 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field, hitting 29 of their 68 attempts. Inside the arc, the opposition made 18 of 44 shots, a 40% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Portland allowed 11 threes on 24 attempts, a 45% shooting percentage. The opposing team also went to the line 16 times, converting 12 free throws for a 75% success rate. Portland gave up 15 offensive rebounds in the game.