Loyola Marymount vs. Santa Clara Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Thursday, Feb. 20

Reed Wallach | Feb 20, 2025

Jan 18, 2025; Spokane, Washington, USA; Santa Clara Broncos guard Carlos Stewart Jr. (10) controls the ball against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

Santa Clara had its three-game winning streak snapped to Saint Mary’s a week-and-a-half ago but now returns home to face a Loyola Marymount team that the fringe WCC contenders would love to get some revenge on. 

The Broncos lost to the Lions last month by three on the road in a low-scoring affair, but since then the team has won five of eight to get into good standing in the conference. Meanwhile, the opposite is true for Loyola Marymount, who has dropped four of five to fall under .500 in league play. 

With a big point spread, who has the edge? Here’s our betting preview. 

Loyola Marymount vs. Santa Clara Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Loyola Marymount: +11.5 (-102)
• Santa Clara: -11.5 (-120)

Moneyline

• Loyola Marymount: +550
• Santa Clara: -820

Total: 147.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Loyola Marymount vs. Santa Clara How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, February 20th
• Game Time: 11:00 PM EST
• Venue: Leavey Center
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
• Louisiana Tech Record: 17-9
• Middle Tennessee Record: 17-8

Loyola Marymount vs. Santa Clara Key Players to Watch

Loyola Marymount

Caleb Stone-Carrawell: The transfer wing has been the most consistent offensive threat for the Lions this season, dragging the team to victory against Santa Clara in a grind of a game, 57-54. The 6’7” senior poured in 19 points in the win. Recently, he has scored 14 or more in three of the last four, including scoring 20 against Gonzaga. 

Santa Clara 

Christoph Tilly: The Santa Clara center has missed the last two games, but he is imperative to the team’s success, evident in his performance against Loyola Marymount last month. The junior scored about half of the team’s points, 25 on 10-of-14 shooting, in the near win. He is an elite back-to-basket player but can stretch the floor at seven feet, hitting 34% of his three-point attempts this season. 

Loyola Marymount vs. Santa Clara Prediction and Pick

The status of Tilly is important for this one after he missed the last two, but either way, the first game is an aberration to the norm for these rosters. 

The 57-54 final was a game filled with poor shot-making as the teams combined to shoot 15% from beyond the arc. 

While LMU’s offense leaves some to be desired, the team is 248th in effective field goal percentage, the team will face a slightly above-average Santa Clara defense that doesn’t run a ton of ball pressure and can be had around the rim. 

The Lions are near the national average in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom, so with a slight uptick in offense, I believe we see the Lions get into the mid-60s. 

Meanwhile, the Santa Clara offense has been a machine in league play, tops in effective field goal percentage. The team is adept at getting to the rim and is tough to slow down in transition. 

This number implies that Tilly is in for the game, but my preferred method is to go to the over that is down two points from the first meeting after some outlier offensive play in the first game. 

PICK: OVER 147.5 (-114, available at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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