The Pacific Tigers take on the Santa Clara Broncos in Las Vegas, Nev. Tip-off is set for 11:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN2.
Santa Clara is favored by -10.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -600. The total is set at 149 points.
Here’s my Pacific vs. Santa Clara prediction and college basketball picks for March 8, 2026.
Pacific vs Santa Clara Prediction
My Pick: Santa Clara -10.5 (-110)
My Pacific vs Santa Clara best bet is on the Broncos to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Pacific vs. Santa Clara Odds
| Pacific Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -110 | 149 -110o / -110u | +450 |
| Santa Clara Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -110 | 149 -110o / -110u | -600 |
- Pacific vs Santa Clara spread: Pacific +10.5 (-110), Santa Clara -10.5 (-110)
- Pacific vs Santa Clara over/under: 149 points (-110o / -110u)
- Pacific vs Santa Clara moneyline: Pacific +450, Santa Clara -600
Pacific vs Santa Clara College Basketball Betting Preview
Pacific Basketball
How about a little late-night magic from Pacific? It rallied from an eight-point first-half deficit to beat Seattle and advance to play Santa Clara.
The Tigers' defensive-first attitude was the key. They held Seattle to 37% shooting on 2-pointers and 0.90 PPP.
Pacific took a pair of ugly losses to Santa Clara in the regular season — the Tigers lost 85-69 in Santa Clara and 71-56 in Stockton.
Some real schematic issues persist in this matchup. Pacific is a very slow tempo squad, ranking 325th in adjusted tempo. If Santa Clara speeds the game up, Pacific can be in trouble.
The best way for Pacific to slow the game down is by limiting turnovers. In the two meetings against Santa Clara, the Tigers turned it over 17 and 21 times. Turnovers are a theme for Pacific, as it turns the ball over 20% of the time.
On the offensive end, the Tigers' best offense is grabbing offensive rebounds. They boast a strong 34% offensive rebound rate, and Santa Clara gives up boards on 31% of misses. The path to getting to the Broncos' defense is leading scorer Elias Ralph and 7-footer Isaac Jack crashing the glass.
Dave Smart is a proven winner, dating back to his days at Carleton, a USports program in Canada. He won plenty of games with a defensive-first style, and the same applies in Stockton.
The Tigers rank 94th in defensive efficiency and hold teams to 48.5% shooting on 2s. However, opponents shoot 34% from deep against them, which is a boost for Santa Clara.
Pacific has just two double-digit scorers. Ralph, whom I touched on earlier, leads the team with 16.5 PPG. The other double-digit scorer is TJ Wainwright, who shoots 39% from deep. On a team with very few perimeter shooters, Wainwright is an invaluable piece.
Santa Clara Basketball
Santa Clara has to be smiling, sitting around and watching bubble teams falter. The Broncos are 24-7 and 15-3 in WCC play and are in the NCAA Tournament field as of now. As we know, things are fluid. A loss in this game would move them to the outside looking in.
The Broncos offense is one of the top units in the country, ranking 22nd in offensive efficiency. Herb Sendek emphasizes pacing and spacing. They play at the 45th-fastest tempo in the country and shoot 34% from deep, with 44% of their shots coming from deep.
Christian Hammond leads Santa Clara in scoring with 15.9 PPG and shoots 39% from deep. He's a twitchy 6-foot-4 guard who demands the defense's attention.
Elijah Mahi serves as the team's main ball-handler. At 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, Mahi can create mismatches by using his size going downhill and dishing to shooters.
If you can't pass, you can't play for Sendek. Five players on Santa Clara's roster average between 2.4 and 3.0 assists.
WCC freshman of the year, Allen Graves, is a defensive menace. He can defend 1-5 spots and leads the Broncos with two steals per game.
The difference from past Santa Clara teams and this one is on the defensive end. They aren't some elite defense, but they sell out to get steals and get them 20% of the time.
On the flip side, Santa Clara allows teams to shoot 53% from 2-point range. When the Broncos gamble for steals, they can get beaten by teams at the rim.
Pacific vs. Santa Clara Betting Analysis
I'm laying the points with Santa Clara here.
Pacific is just a terrible matchup for the Broncos. The lack of tempo, paired with the constant turnovers, is how Santa Clara buries an opponent.
My Pick: Santa Clara -10.5 (-110, bet365)
