The Saint Mary's Gaels take on the Santa Clara Broncos in Santa Clara, CA. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Saint Mary's is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -205. The total is set at 139.5 points.
Here are my Saint Mary's vs. Santa Clara predictions and college basketball picks for January 29, 2025.
Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara Prediction
My Pick: Saint Mary's -4 (Play to -5)
My Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara best bet is on the Gaels spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara Odds, Pick
| Saint Mary's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | -205 |
| Santa Clara Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | +170 |
- Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara spread: Saint Mary's -4.5
- Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara over/under: 139.5 points
- Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara moneyline: Saint Mary's -205, Santa Clara +170
- Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara best bet: Saint Mary's -4 (Play to -5)
My Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara College Basketball Betting Preview
I like Saint Mary’s here.
I get why people might lean toward the Broncos, especially after they finally beat Gonzaga, a team that's been owning them for years. They’ve won two of the last three against Mark Few and even cracked the 100-point mark in last Saturday's matchup.
But really, I think that says more about Gonzaga's defensive problems than about Santa Clara's readiness to move up to the top spots in the WCC.
Saint Mary’s will be a tough test. The Gaels rank in the top 30 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom. They’re a fantastic rebounding team, ranking in the top 30 in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates.
They don’t beat themselves, as they never turn the ball over and rarely foul — they average fewer than 10 turnovers per game and allow fewer than 15 foul shots per game.
They’re steady, deliberate and dominant on the road, where they’ve won all five true road opportunities and rank fifth nationally in Haslametrics’ away-from-home metric.
Even better, they’re playing some of their best basketball lately, ranking second nationally in Haslametrics' momentum metric.
Meanwhile, Santa Clara is struggling on the interior, ranking 249th nationally in 2-point shooting allowed (53%, per KenPom). The Gaels will find those lanes to post and score.
Even worse, Santa Clara’s Tyeree Bryan missed the last game against Oregon State, which really hurt the Broncos' offense — they failed to crack 70 points and lost by 14.
If he’s not playing, the Gaels could run away with this one early.
