Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga (-4) Point Spread Preview

Gonzaga (26-5, 14-11-2 ATS) is playing great basketball right now, having won nine of its past 10 games, including five straight. It's a nice run, and the Bulldogs have been very good on college basketball odds too-they've gone 6-2-1 in their past nine games against the spread, including a 77-62 romp over Loyola Mary in the WAC semi-final on Sunday.

The Bulldogs got a gutsy performance from Steven Gray in the win. Gray was "constantly bleeding" according to head coach Mark Few after smashing his elbow and grotesquely bending back his fingers, but junior guard played through the pain and posted 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Gray was third in team scoring at 13.6 points per game this season. Leading-scorer Matt Bouldin chipped in with 12 points against Loyola, while Ellis Harris added 16 of his own.

St. Mary's (25-5, 19-9-1 ATS) has been nearly as good after suffering just two losses in its past 12 outings. The Gaels are enjoying a four-game winning streak after putting down the Portland Pilots 69-55 in Sunday's other WAC semi-final. Success has been harder to come by against the spread, however, with the Gaels going just 5-4-1 in their last 10 games against college basketball odds.

A double-double from Omar Samhan was the difference for St. Mary's against Portland, as the senior center racked up 16 points and 13 boards. Samhan is unquestionably the team's best player after averaging 21.3 points and 11.1 rebounds on the year. He didn't have to do it alone, though, as three other Gaels scored in double figures, including 16 apiece from guards Matthew Dellavedova and Mickey McConnell.

Gonzaga has absolutely owned St. Mary's in recent years. The Bulldogs have ripped off six straight wins against the Gaels, including a very impressive 5-1 record against the point spread in that span. Most recently, Gonzaga crushed St. Mary's 80-61 in a Feb. 11 meeting. They also met in last year's WAC title game, with the Bulldogs embarrassing the Gaels 83-58. The total-set at 145 at BroburySports -has gone over in three of the past four meetings between these teams, though the most recent outing was under.

Game Prediction

Both these teams have been playing solid defense as of late. The Bulldogs have allowed 59 PPG their last 5 while the Gaels have held opponents to 62.6. In their last match-up St Mary's put up only 61 points and we expect a number in that range again tonight for the Gaels and we see the Zags in the 70's. Take the Under 145.