St. Mary’s vs Santa Clara Prediction 1/17/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Saint Mary’s Gaels and the Santa Clara Broncos will meet on Saturday night in a WCC matchup at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, California.

Santa Clara Broncos Betting Preview

The Santa Clara Broncos enter Saturday evening’s contest with a 15–5 win‑loss record, including a 6–1 mark in conference play and a perfect 10-0 record at home. 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, illustrating his ability to anchor the Broncos backcourt.

The Santa Clara Broncos average 83.4 points on 46.6 percent shooting from the field and 33.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Defensively, the Broncos are allowing opponents 72.3 points per contest.

Sophomore guard Christian Hammond leads the Santa Clara Broncos averaging 16.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals on 50.9 percent shooting from the field per contest. Sophomore forward Allen Graves contributes 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Junior guard Elijah Mahi adds 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Preview

The Saint Mary’s Gaels enters Saturday’s contest with a 17–2 record and a 6–0 mark in conference play and a 4-0 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. Six days ago, 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 79.1 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent shooting from three-point range per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the Gaels are allowing 66.4 points per contest which ranks 23rd 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

•             Three‑point volume. Santa Clara attempts 29.7 three-point shots per game which ranks 19th in the nation.

•             Offensive edge. The Santa Clara Broncos average 83.4 points per game. Conversely, the Gaels are averaging 79.1 points per contest.

•             Backcourt play. Sophomore guard Christian Hammond is averaging 16.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting a rather impressive 50.9 percent shooting from three-point range per contest.

Why the Saint Mary’s Gaels will win

• Elite defense. Saint Mary’s allows just 66.4 points per game which ranks 23rd in the nation.

• Ability to win on the road. The Saint Mary’s Gaels are 4-0 on the road this season.

• Frontcourt play. Forward Paulius Murauskas averages 19.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Guar

Santa Clara Broncos vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels Prediction

Saint Mary’s brings the more stable efficiency profile into this matchup, pairing elite half‑court defense with consistent perimeter shooting and strong late‑game execution. Santa Clara’s unbeaten home record and offensive rebounding give them a path to hang around, but their defensive inconsistency and reliance on pace make this a difficult matchup against a Gaels team that does a good job of controlling pace. I am backing the Saint Mary’s Gaels to cover the 1.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Saint Mary's -1.5