Santa Clara (13-7) vs Washington State (15-5)
January 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: Santa Clara -5 — Over/Under: 159
The Washington State Cougars are visiting the Santa Clara Broncos on Thursday, January 23rd at the Leavey Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Washington State Cougars vs Santa Clara Broncos Prediction. We will examine:
The Santa Clara Broncos’ recent form and player performance
The Washington State Cougars’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Santa Clara Broncos
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Washington State Cougars
Recent betting trends in games played between Washington State Cougars and Santa Clara Broncos
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for Washington State Cougars vs Santa Clara Broncos game
Santa Clara Broncos Preview
The Santa Clara Broncos have a 13-7 record this season and are sitting in third place in the West Coast. The Broncos are coming off a 103-99 win over Gonzaga. The Broncos are 9-11 against the spread, and 11-9 in over/under, while having a 7-2 home record.
Offensively, Santa Clara is averaging 80.7 points per game, which ranks 54th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 74.8 points per game (274th). The Broncos shoot 46.2% from the field (114th) and 35.1% from beyond the arc (122nd). The Broncos shoot 72.2% from the free throw line (169th) and are grabbing 38.9 rebounds per game (53rd).
Adama Bal leads Santa Clara in scoring this season, with an average of 14 points, while Christoph Tilly adds 13.2 points and 4.6 rebounds. Santa Clara will meet Oregon State after this game.
Washington State Cougars Preview
The Washington State Cougars have a 15-5 record this season and are sitting in the 5th place in the West Coast. The Cougars are coming off a 92-70 win over Portland. The Cougars are 13-7 against the spread, and 10-10 in over/under while having a 3-2 road record.
Offensively, Washington State is averaging 81.6 points per game, which ranks 40th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 74.9 points per game (281st). The Cougars shoot 49.4% from the field, which is the 13th-best in the nation, and 36% from beyond the arc (73rd). The Cougars shoot 70.8% from the free-throw line (213th) and are grabbing 36.7 rebounds per game (136th).
Nate Calmese leads Washington State in scoring with an average of 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and a team-high 4.7 assists, while LeJuan Watts adds 13.8 points, 4 assists, and a team-high 7.9 rebounds.
Why the Santa Clara Broncos will win
- Santa Clara has won each of its last nine games at Leavey Center following a road win.
- Santa Clara has won the first half in eight of its last 10 games at Leavey Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Washington State Cougars will win
- Washington State has won six of its last seven games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Washington State has won the first half in 16 of its last 20 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- Santa Clara ranks 25th among Division 1 teams for three-point field goal attempts per game this season (28.6).
- Santa Clara ranks 31st among Division 1 teams for three-point field goals made per game this season (10.1).
- Washington State ranks 15th among Division 1 teams for field goal percentage this season (49.4%).
- Washington State ranks 18th among Division 1 teams for effective field goal percentage this season (57.0%).
Washington State Cougars vs Santa Clara Broncos Head-to-Head
Santa Clara is 3-1 in their last 4 meetings against Washington State, and are 5-1 against the spread in their last 6 meetings. Under is 3-0 in their last 3 meetings, and in their most recent meeting back in 2023, Santa Clara won 69-61 at home, covering the spread, as the game went under the point total.
Washington State Cougars vs Santa Clara Broncos Prediction
In this Washington State Cougars vs Santa Clara Broncos Prediction, Santa Clara is coming as -5 home favorites. Both teams have been playing very good basketball this season, but Washington State has been better in covering spreads. The Broncos are 1-3 against the spread in their last 4 games, while the Cougars are 6-2 against the spread in their last 8 games, so I like the guests in this matchup. Take the Washington State Cougars and lay the points on the road.