Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Saint Mary's Gaels: Latest betting odds for 2024 WCC Championship game
For the third year in a row, the West Coast Conference championship game features one of the hottest rivals in college basketball between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Saint Mary's Gaels.
The programs have been on a collision course all season long heading into Tuesday's game. Saint Mary's was picked to win the league by the coaches in the preseason poll with Gonzaga at No. 2. Sure enough that's exactly how the final standings looked, as the Gaels went 15-1 in league play with their lone loss coming in the regular season finale to the Zags, who went 14-2 in WCC action. After each team won on the other's home court in the regular season series, a third and final showdown at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas will determine who clinches an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga (25-6, 14-2 WCC) advanced to its 27th-straight WCC championship game after an 89-77 win over San Francisco in the semifinal round on Monday. Mark Few's offense was electric with 23 assists to only three turnovers, scoring an efficient 1.435 points per possession. Much of that had to do with a strong second half, as the Zags shot 62.1% from the field and went 7-of-10 from downtown.
Ben Gregg led the surge with four 3-pointers after halftime to finish with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Nolan Hickman scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the second half while Ryan Nembhard posted his fifth double-double of the season in a 16-point, 12-assist game. Anton Watson had 17 points while Graham Ike was limited to 10 points in 30 minutes of action, snapping his seven-game streak of 20 or more points.
The Bulldogs improved to 14-15 against the spread this season and have covered in three straight games according to covers.com. They're an even 13-13 ATS when favored and 3-3 in neutral site games this season including the Maui Invitational and games against USC (Las Vegas) and UConn (Seattle). During its nine-game winning streak, Gonzaga is 6-3 ATS.
Saint Mary's (25-7, 15-1 WCC) will appear in its third-straight WCC championship game following its 79-65 win over Santa Clara in the semifinal round. Alex Ducas led with 21 points and seven 3-pointers while Mason Forbes had a season-high 18 points on 8-for-9 shooting from the floor. The Gaels shot 62.1% from the field in the second half.
Saint Mary's boasted the No. 1 scoring defense in the WCC during the regular season, allowing its opponents to 58.4 points per game and 40.5% shooting from the floor. The Gaels also led the league in rebounding margin at +10.6.
Saint Mary's moved to 16-13 ATS after Monday's win, which was the first time it covered in a neutral site game this season (1-4). The Gaels covered in all three previous games as underdogs, including their 64-62 win over the Zags in Spokane as 4.5-point underdogs.
Gonzaga covered the spread in the two previous meetings in the WCC championship game and has won seven of the last 10 head-to-head matchups straight-up. The Bulldogs are 10-3 against the Gaels all-time in the WCC championship game.
Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's Betting Odds
Check out the latest betting odds for this matchup per SI Sportsbook.
Money Line: Gonzaga (-167)
Spread: Gonzaga -3.5 (-111)
Over/Under: 138.5 (-111)
