Santa Clara vs St. Mary’s Prediction 3/9/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Saint Mary’s Gaels and the Santa Clara Broncos will meet on Monday night in a West Coast Conference Tournament game at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Santa Clara Broncos Betting Preview

The Santa Clara Broncos enter Monday evening’s contest with a 25–7 win‑loss record, including a 15–3 mark in conference play and an 8-3 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.

In the Santa Clara Broncos 82–63 victory over the Pepperdine Waves earlier this season, 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 83.5 points (24th in country) on 47 percent shooting from the field and 34.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Defensively, the Broncos are allowing opponents 72.9 points per contest.

It is noteworthy that these two teams met last month. Who won? Two weeks ago, the Saint Mary’s Gaels defeated the Santa Clara Broncos 86-67.

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.

Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Preview

The Saint Mary’s Gaels enters Monday’s contest with a 27–4 record and a 16-2 mark in conference play and a rather impressive 8-2 record on the road. The Gaels have amassed wins over San Francisco, Washington State, Portland and the Virginia Tech Hokies, while losing games to Boise State and Vanderbilt.

Earlier this season, in the Saint Mary’s Gaels 88-82 win over the Washington State Cougars, Saint Mary’s guard Joshua Dent accumulated 26 points (9 of 14 shooting from the field), 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals.

The Saint Mary’s Gaels are averaging 77.8 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 38.8 percent shooting from three-point range per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the Gaels are allowing 64.9 points per contest which ranks seventh in the country.

Forward Paulius Murauskas leads the Gaels with 19.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Guard Josh Dent anchors the backcourt averaging 13.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per contest, while sophomore guard Mikey Lewis adds 13.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Why the Santa Clara Broncos will win

•             Ability to win on the road. The Sant Clara Broncos have compiled a 7-2 record on the road this season.

•             Offensive edge. The Santa Clara Broncos average 83.5 points per game. Conversely, the Saint Mary’s Gaels are averaging 77.8 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.

•             Momentum. The Santa Clara Broncos arrive at tomorrow’s game on the heels of a two-game winning streak.

Why the Saint Mary’s Gaels will win

• Elite defense. Saint Mary’s allows just 64.9 points per game which ranks 7th in the nation.

• Ability to win on the road. The Saint Mary’s Gaels are 8-2 on the road this season.

• Confidence. The Saint Mary’s Gaels defeated the Santa Clara Broncos last month. 

Saint Mary’s Gaels vs. Santa Clara Broncos Prediction

Saint Mary’s brings the more stable defensive profile into this conference tournament game, and the Gaels ability to control tempo, limit second chance scoring and force Santa Clara into longer half‑court possessions gives the Saint Mary’s a more reliable path to victory in this matchup. Let us not forget that the Gaels defeated the Broncos two weeks ago. With that said, I am backing the Saint Mary’s Gaels to cover the 3.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Saint Mary's -3.5