Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara College Basketball prediction, preview
Gonzaga had been waiting to get back on the court since ending the regular season with a road loss at Saint Mary’s back on the last day of February. The Zags responded with an easy wire-to-wire win over Oregon State in Las Vegas on Monday night, although they weren’t able to cover the spread that got bet all the way up to 20.5.
But the Bulldogs coasted the entire way without any real pressure from the Beavers. Meanwhile, Santa Clara has been playing for its tournament life. The Broncos were firmly on the bubble, but likely settled that debate on Monday night with an upset of the Gaels in the semifinals. The game against Saint Mary’s was the Super Bowl for Santa Clara in many ways. Sure, the Broncos would love a big win over the Zags, and a WCC Tournament championship would put them in the field with an auto-bid. But they got the win they came to Vegas to get.
I’m sure Gonzaga was hungry to face the Gaels in the title game and get some revenge, but winning the WCC Tournament in its final year in the league still holds significance. Given the big late night win that Santa Clara is coming off, it sets up nicely for a more rested Gonzaga squad.
The Broncos can keep up with the Zags offensively, with similar ranked offenses on KenPom. However, the Bulldogs hold huge advantages on the glass and the defensive side of the ball. Gonzaga ranks 11th in rebound rate, while the Broncos are outside of the top-100. The Zags also rank in the top-10 in defensive efficiency on KenPom, while Santa Clara is down at 73rd.
Gonzaga just matches up well against Santa Clara, winning both regular season matchups by 12 points at home and eight points on the road. It’ll be a Zags crowd in Vegas, and I like the Bulldogs to jump out to an early lead and not look back. I bet them on the double result (halftime/fulltime on DraftKings Sportsbook), and am holding a pre-tournament ticket on the Zags to win the WCC Tournament that I’ll be riding in this one.
