It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Saint Mary’s-LMU prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Saint Mary’s-LMU.
The Saint Mary’s Gaels have won the West Coast Conference regular season championship for yet another season. They have done this three years in a row. Saint Mary’s is 15-1 in the WCC entering this Thursday night game against Loyola Marymount. It then ends its regular season on Saturday versus Oregon State. As long as SMC wins one of these next two games to finish 16-2 (if not 17-1), that will mark three straight years in which the Gaels have not lost more than two games in WCC play. They were 14-2 in 2023, 15-1 in 2024. Gonzaga has been a dominant program in the WCC at various points over the past 25 years, but over the past three seasons, Saint Mary’s has been number one. It is so impressive to see what coach Randy Bennett has done with the Gaels, who will be the No. 1 seed at the WCC Tournament next week. They swept Gonzaga in the regular season and might get a chance to beat GU three times next week in Las Vegas.
Here are the Saint Mary’s-LMU College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Saint Mary’s-LMU Odds
Saint Mary’s: -12.5 (-114)
Moneyline: -1000
LMU: +12.5 (-106)
Moneyline: +640
Over: 132.5 (-108)
Under: 132.5 (-112)
How to Watch Saint Mary’s vs LMU
Time: 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
TV: CBS Sports Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Saint Mary’s Will Cover The Spread/Win
Saint Mary’s is a powerhouse team in WCC play. We can debate nonconference play, given that the Gaels have not been dominant or regularly successful in out-of-conference games the past few seasons, but when WCC games are involved, this has been the best program in the conference over the past three years. Randy Bennett is an elite game-plan coach, and in conference play, coaches are extremely familiar with what opponents do. Conference opponents face each other twice a year, so everyone knows what everyone else normally runs on offense and defense. In this context of familiarity, Randy Bennett regularly outflanks opposing West Coast Conference coaches and gets his players to play the game the way they need to. Saint Mary’s usually dictates the tempo and style of a game. It should not be any different here against Loyola Marymount, which is a mid-tier team in the WCC and does not have the elite talent needed to counteract the advantage SMC has because it is guided by a top-tier head coach.
Why LMU Will Cover The Spread/Win
Saint Mary’s has already wrapped up the regular-season conference title. The Gaels have Senior Night on Saturday against Oregon State. They have the WCC Tournament and then March Madness just around the corner. It would be easy to imagine Saint Mary’s not being fully focused on this game, and the spread is a double-digit number. It is easy to see LMU covering here.
Final Saint Mary’s-LMU Prediction & Pick
Saint Mary’s is a really good team, but this is a natural letdown spot because the Gaels have already clinched the regular-season conference championship and are likely looking ahead (mentally) to the WCC Tournament, which is their next big goal. We don’t trust LMU, but we simply think you should pass on this game and not go all-in on an SMC bet.
Final Saint Mary’s-LMU Prediction & Pick: LMU +12.5
The post Saint Mary’s vs LMU prediction, pick, college basketball odds appeared first on ClutchPoints.
