Santa Clara vs San Diego Prediction 1/24/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Santa Clara Broncos and the San Diego Toreros will meet on Saturday night in a WCC matchup at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, California.

Santa Clara Broncos Betting Preview

The Santa Clara Broncos enter Saturday evening’s contest with a 16–5 win‑loss record, including a 7–1 mark in conference play and a respectable 3-2 record on the road. The Broncos have compiled wins over Pepperdine, Portland, Oregon State, and North Texas, while dropping games to Loyola Chicago and Gonzaga. Earlier this season, in the Santa Clara Broncos 82–63 victory over the Pepperdine Waves, Santa Clara guard Christian Hammond tallied 20 points (9 of 18 shooting from the field), 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals and 1 block, showcasing his ability to anchor the Broncos backcourt.

The Santa Clara Broncos average 82.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting from the field and 33.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Defensively, the Broncos are allowing opponents 71.4 points per contest.

Sophomore guard Christian Hammond leads the Santa Clara Broncos averaging 16.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals on 51 percent shooting from the field per contest. Sophomore forward Allen Graves contributes 10 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2 steals per game. Junior guard Elijah Mahi adds 14.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

San Diego Toreros Betting Preview

The San Diego Toreros enter Saturday’s contest with a 9–12 record, including a 3-5 mark in conference play and an 8-4 record at home this season. The Toreros have compiled wins over Pacific, UC San Diego, Northern Arizona and San Jose State, while dropping games to Washington, USC and Pepperdine. In the San Diego Toreros 66–54 victory over the Pacific Tigers earlier this season, San Diego guard Ty‑Laur Johnson accumulated 22 points, continuing to serve as San Diego’s most reliable offensive option.

The San Diego Toreros average 73.7 points on 43.9 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Shifting our attention to the defensive side of the basketball, the Toreros are allowing opponents 78.8 points per contest which ranks an abysmal 277th in the country.

Junior guard Ty‑Laur Johnson leads the San Diego Toreros averaging 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Senior guard Toneari Lane is averaging 10.3 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal per contest, while freshman forward Vuk Boskovic provides a presence in the paint averaging 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Why the Santa Clara Broncos will win

•             Ability to win on the road. The Sant Clara Broncos are 3-2 on the road this season.

•             Offensive edge. The Santa Clara Broncos average 82.3 points per game. Conversely, the San Diego Toreros are averaging 73.7 points per contest.

•             Backcourt play. Sophomore guard Christian Hammond leads the Santa Clara Broncos averaging 16.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals on 51 percent shooting from the field per contest.

Why the San Diego Toreros will win

• Home court advantage. The San Diego Toreros are 8–4 at home in 2025.

• Quality guard play. Junior guard Ty‑Laur Johnson averages 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Santa Clara Broncos vs. San Diego Toreros Prediction

This matchup features Santa Clara’s offensive efficiency and defensive discipline against a San Diego team that has played its best basketball at home in 2025. The Toreros shooting gives them a path to stay competitive early, but Santa Clara’s scoring balance, defensive consistency and recent dominance in this series present a difficult matchup for a San Diego team that has struggled to contain high efficiency offenses this season. For the reasons just noted, I am backing the Santa Clara Broncos in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Santa Clara TBA