Saint Mary’s Gaels vs Santa Clara Broncos NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/29/25
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Gaels versus the Broncos? Tip off is at at 9:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPNU. The game will be played at Leavey Center in Santa Clara, CA. Saint Mary’s is favored by -4.5 in this West Coast conference contest against Santa Clara. The game’s over/under currently sits at 138.5 points.
SAINT MARY’S GAELS VS SANTA CLARA BRONCOS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Santa Clara Broncos +4.5
This game will be played at Leavey Center at 9:00 ET on Wednesday, January 29th.
WHY BET THE SANTA CLARA BRONCOS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Broncos.
- Not only will Santa Clara pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +4.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 138.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Can the Gaels Deliver Being Favored on the Road?
Saint Mary’s Gaels Recent Game/Games
Saint Mary’s improved to 17-3 on the season with an 80-75 road win over Washington State on Saturday. The Gaels were -6 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread.
After trailing 38-35 at halftime, Saint Mary’s turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring the Cougars 45-37. The total points for the game hit 155, going over the 142.5 O/U line.
Saint Mary’s put up 80 points in their last game, shooting 57.7% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 65.4%. They hit 65.7% of their two-point attempts and 41.2% from beyond the arc, going 7-for-17 from three. At the free-throw line, they were nearly perfect, making 13 of 14 attempts for a 92.9% success rate.
Paulius Murauskas led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 60% from the field and 37.5% from three. Ethan Price added 20 points, hitting 4 of 7 threes for a 57.1% rate from deep, while Augustas Marciulionis contributed 17 points and 7 assists, connecting on 60% of his three-point attempts.
Saint Mary’s Gaels struggled defensively, giving up 75 points on 57% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 62% of their two-point attempts, with 22 made baskets out of 35 tries.
From beyond the arc, the Gaels’ defense conceded 6 threes on 14 attempts, a 42% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 13 times, where they converted every attempt.
Will the Broncos Exceed Expectations at Home?
Santa Clara Broncos Recent Game/Games
The Broncos fell to 14-8 on the season after an 83-69 road loss to Oregon State on Saturday. Santa Clara entered the game as +2 point underdogs and didn’t cover the spread.
After trailing 32-30 at halftime, Santa Clara allowed 51 points in the 2nd half while scoring 39. The total points for the game reached 152, going over the pre-game line of 147.5.
Santa Clara’s offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 51% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 61.2%. They were particularly strong inside, hitting 72.7% of their two-point attempts, while connecting on 33.3% from beyond the arc, going 9-for-27 from three.
Michael Rataj led the way with 30 points, shooting 52.9% overall and 40% from three. Nate Kingz added 16 points, hitting 66.7% of his shots. The Broncos finished with just 3 offensive rebounds but dished out 19 assists as a team.
Santa Clara’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 83 points on 54% shooting from the field. The Broncos allowed their opponent to shoot 65% from two-point range, connecting on 23 of 35 attempts.
From beyond the arc, Santa Clara’s defense held their opponent to 33% shooting, with 6 made threes on 18 attempts. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 21 of those attempts for 95%.