St. Mary’s vs Portland Prediction College Basketball Picks 1/4/25

The Saint Mary’s Gaels are visiting the Portland Pilots on Saturday, January 4th at the Chiles Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Saint Mary’s Gaels vs Portland Pilots Prediction. We will examine:

The Portland Pilots’ recent form and player performance

The Saint Mary’s Gaels’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Portland Pilots

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Saint Mary’s Gaels

Recent betting trends in games played between Saint Mary’s Gaels and Portland Pilots

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Saint Mary’s Gaels vs Portland Pilots game

Portland Pilots Preview

The Portland Pilots have a 5-11 record this season and are sitting in 10th place on the West Coast. They are coming off a 50-81 loss to Gonzaga. The Pilots are 7-7 against the spread, and 6-8 in over/under, while having a 1-4 home record.

Offensively, Portland is averaging 72.6 points per game, which ranks 257th in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 79 points per game (333rd). The Pilots shoot 44.2% from the field (231st) and 34.9% from beyond the arc (139th). The Pilots shoot 77.2% from the free throw line (35th) and are grabbing 34.1 rebounds per game (286th).

Austin Rapp leads Portland in scoring this season, with an average of 14.4 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds, while Vukasin Masic adds 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and a team-high 3.4 assists.

Saint Mary’s Gaels Preview

The Saint Mary’s Gaels have a 12-3 record this season and are sitting in the third place of the West Coast. They are coming off a 71-41 win over Pepperdine. The Gaels are 4-10 against the spread, and 6-7-1 in over/under while having a 1-0 road record.

Offensively, Saint Mary’s is averaging 74.9 points per game, which ranks 206th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 64.3 points per game (36th). The Gaels shoot 44.9% from the field (149th) and 32.5% from beyond the arc (251st). The Gaels shoot 66.6% from the free-throw line (305th) and are grabbing 41.2 rebounds per game, which is 22nd in the nation.

Augustas Marciulionis leads Saint Mary’s in scoring this season, with 14.2 points and a team-high 6.4 assists, while Paulius Murauskas adds 13.4 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds.

Why the Portland Pilots will win

• The home team has won three of Portland’s last four games.
• The home team has won the first half in three of Portland’s last four games.

Why the Saint Mary’s Gaels will win

• Saint Mary’s has won each of its last 14 games against Portland.
• Portland has lost each of its last 10 Saturday night games.
• Saint Mary’s has won the first half in each of its last 10 games against Portland.

Saint Mary’s Gaels vs Portland Pilots Prediction

Saint Mary’s has won their last 10 meetings against Portland, and are 6-0 against the spread in their last 6 meetings. Under is 6-3 in their last 9 meetings, and in their most recent meeting last season, Saint Mary’s won 76-51 on the road, covering the spread, as the game went under the point total. In this Saint Mary’s Gaels vs Portland Pilots Prediction, Saint Mary’s is coming as -18 road favorites. Saint Mary’s is better both offensively, scoring 2.3 points more than Portland, and defensively, allowing 14.7 points less. The Gaels are winning by an average of 10.6 points this season, while the Pilots are losing by an average of 6.4 points. The Gaels are by far the best team in this matchup, but they have trouble covering spreads this season, as they are just 4-10 against the spread, and 1-4 in their last 5 games. Both teams are well below the national average offensively, while the Gaels have an elite defense, so I’m expecting a lower-scoring affair. Take the under in this one.