The Santa Clara Broncos take on the Saint Mary's Gaels in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the 2026 WCC Tournament. Tip-off is set for 11:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Saint Mary's is favored by -4 points on the spread with a moneyline of -185. The total is set at 147.5 points.
Here’s my Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's predictions and college basketball picks for Monday, March 9.
Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's Prediction
My Pick: Saint Mary's -4
My Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's best bet is on the Gaels 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. Saint Mary's Odds
| Santa Clara Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5 -110 | 147.5 -110o / -110u | +180 |
| Saint Mary's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5 -110 | 147.5 -110o / -110u | -220 |
- Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's Spread: Saint Mary's -5, Santa Clara +5
- Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's Over/Under: 147.5 Points
- Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's Moneyline: Santa Clara +180, Saint Mary's -220
Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's College Basketball Betting Preview
Santa Clara Basketball
Santa Clara should feel decent about making the NCAA Tournament either way, but a win over Saint Mary's likely locks it into its first Big Dance since Steve Nash was in school.
Pace will matter a lot in this matchup. If the Broncos can turn this into a transition game, they have a chance to beat the Gaels. They play at the 40th-fastest tempo in the country, compared to Saint Mary's, which sits 295th in adjusted tempo.
Herb Sendek's team is all about shooting from deep — they attempt 3s on 44% of their field-goal attempts and make 34% of them.
The Broncos grab offensive rebounds at an elite 34% rate, which makes up for some of the bricks. That's where we encounter more issues with the Broncos' game plan against these Gaels.
The Broncos have a bona fide star in Christian Hammond. The speedy 6-foot-4 guard leads the team with 15 PPG and shoots 39% from downtown. They have eight other players who average 5-plus PPG to help out Hammond and Elijah Mahi, who are the main scorers.
The main key for Santa Clara is forcing turnovers, which it forces at a 20% rate. Saint Mary's will keep this game to a slow tempo if it limits turnovers, and I can't see the Broncos battling in that type of game.
Saint Mary's Basketball
Yet another banner season for Randy Bennett and Saint Mary's. The Gaels finished the regular season with a 27-4 record and won their final eight games of the year, including one over this Santa Clara team.
Bennett usually has a 7-footer — or two — on his roster.
This year, Andrew McKeever, who stands 7-foot-3, and Harry Wessels, who stands 7-foot-1, are exceptional on the boards. McKeever leads the Gaels with 9.2 RPG, and Wessels also snags 5.3. Paulius Murauskas, who starts at the 4, averages 7.7 boards per game.
Defense is a staple of a Bennett-coached program. They rank 17th in defensive efficiency — also ranking 20th in 2-point field goal defense and 34th in 3-point defense. Plus, the Gaels limit teams to a 23% offensive rebound rate — the fourth-lowest mark in the country, and they send teams to the line just 25% of the time.
I actually trust this Saint Mary's team offensively more than I usually do. The guarantee with an SMC team is that it'll have a steady point guard who excels at pick-and-roll play. Joshua Dent has taken that role, posting 5.6 APG. He's more of a scorer than the SMC point guards of old, as Dent shoots 48% from the field and an elite 43% from deep.
The key is letting Mikey Lewis get rolling. The sophomore guard is as dynamic a scorer as the WCC has. He scored 16-plus points in four straight games and is earning Bennett's trust more and more.
The Gaels are one of the shooting teams in America, making 38% of their 3s. Plus, they lead the country in free-throw shooting at 81%.
Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's Pick, Betting Analysis
The Gaels present some serious matchup issues for this Santa Clara team.
Saint Mary's is relentless on the offensive glass, boasting a 37% offensive rebound rate. The Gaels went 1-1 against the Broncos, but they snagged 14 and 21 offensive rebounds in the two games.
Virtually nobody outrebounds the Gaels. So, if Santa Clara thinks it can, it's thinking wrong because Saint Mary's is unreal on the boards.
My Pick: Saint Mary's -4 (-110)
