The West Coast Conference Championship will feature a matchup between No. 19 Saint Mary’s and the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET. The Gaels have beaten the Bulldogs twice this season and are the defending WCC conference tournament champions.
Here’s a college basketball pick for Tuesday’s game between Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.
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Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s (9:00 p.m. ET)
Gonzaga was 10-2 in their previous 12 games, and both of those losses were against Saint Mary’s. Saint Mary’s won the first matchup by four points and seven in the second contest. Although freshmen guard Mikey Lewis is fifth on the Gaels in scoring, he has scored 16-plus points in each game against Gonzaga this season.
Throughout the past 20-plus years, Gonzaga has dominated the WCC tournament. Gonzaga won 20 of the previous 26 WCC tournaments, while Saint Mary’s won four times. The Gaels beat the Bulldogs 69-60 in the final in 2024. Gonzaga is a -3.5 favorite in this game while Saint Mary’s is +145 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Since Gonzaga last played Saint Mary’s, they have won three games in a row with two wins by 19-plus points. Graham Ike, Gonzaga’s leading scorer, is their difference maker. He averages 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per contest. Ike scored 24 and 19 points against the Gaels this season. He is also coming off a massive performance of 27 points and 10 boards against San Francisco in the WCC semifinal.
The Zags have struggled to score the ball against Saint Mary’s this season, only totaling 58 and 67 against them. A significant factor in their first two matchups has been the rebounding battle. Saint Mary’s has out-rebounded Gonzaga 79-60, and the Zags need Ike, Michael Ajayi, and Ben Gregg to step up in this area. It is hard to beat a team three times in a single season, and with Gonzaga’s success in the WCC tournament, they will be a tough out.
College Basketball Pick: Gonzaga -3.5
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