As part of the Field of 68 Showcase, the Saint Louis Billikens will take on the Santa Clara Broncos on the first day of the college basketball season at 3 p.m. ET on YouTube at the Sanford Pentagon.
The Billikens parted ways with Travis Ford in March, leading to the hiring of former Indiana State head coach Josh Schertz.
On the other side, this will be year eight of the Herb Sendek era at Santa Clara, and the Broncos have their best chance to reach the NCAA Tournament.
The Broncos are 1.5-point favorites on the spread with a moneyline of -125. The total is set at 159 at the time of writing.
Here’s my Saint Louis vs. Santa Clara predictions and college basketball picks for Monday.
Saint Louis vs Santa Clara Prediction
My pick: Santa Clara -1.5
My Saint Louis vs. Santa Clara best bet is on the Broncos 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 Louis vs Santa Clara Odds, Spread
| Saint Louis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 158.5 -110o / -110u | +105 |
| Santa Clara Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 158.5 -110o / -110u | -125 |
- Saint Louis vs Santa Clara spread: Santa Clara -1.5
- Saint Louis vs Santa Clara over/under: 158.5 points
- Saint Louis vs Santa Clara moneyline: Saint Clara -125, Saint Louis +105
- Saint Louis vs Santa Clara best bet: Santa Clara -1.5
Spread
I'm taking Santa Clara to cover the short spread.
Moneyline
I believe Santa Clara wins this game, but the spread is only -1.5, so I'll target that angle.
Over/Under
I'm not looking at the total in this matchup.
My pick: Santa Clara -1.5 (Play to -2.5)
Saint Louis vs Santa Clara Betting Trends to Know
- 57% of the bets are on Saint Louis to cover the spread, while 65% of the money is on the same side.
- 70% of the bets and 67% of the money is on the over.
- 71% of the bets are on Santa Clara on the moneyline, while 82% of the money is on the same side.
Saint Louis vs Santa Clara Start Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | Sanford Pentagon |
| Date: | Monday, November 4 |
| Start Time: | 3 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | YouTube |
Saint Louis vs Santa Clara is scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET start time, live from the Sanford Pentagon on Monday. The game is live on YouTube.
Santa Clara vs Saint Louis NCAAB Betting Preview
Saint Louis Basketball
During the Ford era, the Billikens made exactly one NCAA Tournament and two NITs, losing in the first round of all three events.
It was clearly time for a change to inject some sort of life into the program.
The Billikens did just that this offseason, as they added Schertz, who brought in All-American candidate Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope from Indiana State.
Schertz, Avila and Swope guided an elite Indiana State offensive attack that resulted in 32 wins and a trip to the NIT final in 2023-24.
In addition to the Indiana State trio, the Billikens have Gibson Jimerson returning, while additions like Kalu Anya (Brown), AJ Casey (Miami) and Josiah Dotzler (Creighton) provide even more options.
We know the Billikens will score, but can they play defense? The results at Indiana State say that Schertz can guide them in the right direction, as the Sycamores led the Missouri Valley Conference in defensive efficiency last season.
Santa Clara Basketball
On the other side, Santa Clara hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 1996, even though they’ve won at least 20 games in three straight seasons and in four of the last five.
Well, this year is their opportunity because this is the best roster Sendek has had at his disposal.
The Broncos return three of their four leading scorers from last season and add former All-WCC First-Team player Carlos Stewart back into the picture after he spent a year at LSU. In fact, Santa Clara is one of just five teams in college basketball that didn’t lose a single player via the transfer portal.
Stewart and Adama-Alpha Bal (14.4 PPG) will form arguably the best backcourt in the WCC, while Johnny O’Neil and 7-footer Christoph Tilly headline the frontcourt.
The Broncos also have JUCO transfer Elijah Mahi — who should be a starter — and plenty of depth and experience.
Santa Clara is the third best team in the WCC to start the season, and that counts for something.
Saint Louis vs Santa Clara Betting Analysis
This is one of the best games on day one of the new campaign, as it’s a neutral site battle between two teams that are expecting to find themselves in the NCAA Tournament.
But right now, Santa Clara has more continuity and experience, and that’s why I’m backing the Broncos.
Sure, the Billikens are the flashier team with their new head coach, elite offensive attack and “Larry Nerd,” but the Broncos have a majority of their big-name players back, which lends itself well to a strong start to the season.
While Avila and Swope are familiar with Schertz's scheme, the remainder of the roster is not, forcing the Billikens to learn on the fly.
This is a massive resume-boosting game for both teams, but returning experience, continuity and chemistry is more important in college basketball than storylines and flashiness at this point in the new season. Give me the Broncos.
