The Santa Clara Broncos take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Spokane, WA. Tip-off is set for 11:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Gonzaga is favored by 16.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1650. The total is set at 166.5 points.
Here’s my Santa Clara vs. Gonzaga prediction and college basketball picks for January 8, 2026.
Santa Clara vs Gonzaga Prediction
My Pick: Gonzaga -15.5
My Santa Clara vs Gonzaga best bet is on the Bulldogs 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.
Santa Clara vs. Gonzaga Odds, Spread
| Santa Clara Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+16.5 -112 | 166.5 -108 / -112 | +950 |
| Gonzaga Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-16.5 -108 | 166.5 -108 / -112 | -1650 |
- Santa Clara vs Gonzaga spread: Gonzaga -16.5
- Santa Clara vs Gonzaga over/under: 166.5 points
- Santa Clara vs Gonzaga moneyline: Santa Clara +950, Gonzaga -1650
Santa Clara vs Gonzaga NCAAB Betting Preview
Santa Clara Basketball
Santa Clara has dominated WCC play through four games, winning all four, with three coming by 19 points or more.
The Broncos have feasted on conference teams outside KenPom's top 200, so we'll see how they fare in Spokane.
The Broncos are all about spacing and shooting. Over 46% of their shots are 3s, and they connect at just a 33% clip. Even with the shaky shooting, Santa Clara ranks 51st in offensive efficiency.
You can tie the Broncos' 40% offensive rebound rate and their 58% shooting on 2s to their spacing, as well. Keeping rebounders out of the lane is huge to give the Broncos second chances.
What makes Santa Clara dangerous is its size and passing. Herb Sendek identifies players who play well in his system and can pass — four of Santa Clara's five starters average two-plus assists, with 6-foot-9 Jake Ensminger leading the way with 3.6 a night.
That's part of why Santa Clara can dominate the bottom of the barrel WCC squads.
Elijah Mahi and Christian Hammond are the two go-to guys for Santa Clara. Hammond leads the Broncos with 17 points per game while shooting 41% from deep. Meanwhile, Mahi adds 14 points a night.
Defense is a bit of a struggle for Santa Clara, as it ranks 87th in defensive efficiency. Outside of a strong 20% turnover rate, the Broncos can get exposed on that end. Opponents shoot 32% from deep and 51% on 2s against them.
Gonzaga Basketball
Which version of Gonzaga will we see? The Bulldogs are a tough team to figure out now. They allowed 93 points to San Diego, then nearly lost to Seattle and then held Loyola Marymount to 42 points.
That's one of the weirdest stretches you'll see from a top-tier team.
To me, it felt like Mark Few got too experimental. He played Braeden Smith more than Mario Saint-Supery, and that didn't go well.
The best lineup for the Zags features Saint-Supery, Tyon Grant-Foster and Jalen Warley. The shooting is limited in that lineup, but it's fine when you have Graham Ike and Braden Huff to dominate the paint.
In WCC play, just feeding Huff and Ike could be enough of a half-court offense to dominate a poor interior defensive team like Santa Clara. Huff will have a major size advantage over Ensminger. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound lefty can dominate using his floater.
Ike might have a tougher duel against 7-foot-2 Bukky Oboye, but Ike's moves in the paint could quickly get the young center in foul trouble.
The only game I'd say that Gonzaga played poor defense in was the San Diego one. The Toreros shot 62% from inside the arc, which is uncharacteristic for the Bulldogs' defense. They held Seattle to 38% shooting on 2s, so that game was more about some poor shooting luck for Gonzaga.
For the season, the Bulldogs limit teams to 46% shooting on 2s and 29% from deep. Scoring on Gonzaga's imposing length is tough, and I think it'll go back to being dominant soon after finding its groove against Loyola Marymount.
Santa Clara vs. Gonzaga Betting Analysis
Last season, Santa Clara beat Gonzaga in Spokane. I think now we'll see a different story this time around.
When the Bulldogs' defense locks in, there's nothing the opponent can do but put up shots and pray for the best.
The Broncos love to drive and kick, but the pressure and length of Gonzaga will keep them out of the paint and make this strictly a perimeter-oriented attack.
Unless Santa Clara gets hot from deep, this game has the makings of a Gonzaga beatdown.
My Pick: Gonzaga -15.5
