Gaels at Gonzaga in a Battle for the West

Is there a changing of the guard in the West Coast Conference? Zach Rance previews St Mary’s at Gonzaga tonight!

For the past decade, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have dominated the West Coast Conference, winning the regular-season conference championship in each of the last 11 seasons. However, their dominance is now being threatened by the St. Mary’s Gaels, a team that has gone undefeated in the conference this year and is currently ranked 16th in the country. When the Gaels visit the Zags on Thursday night, it will be an explosive match-up that will likely determine the regular-season champion. In addition, it will be a great game for those people looking for some late action when they bet on college basketball.

The Gaels should have all the confidence in the world when they take the floor at the McCarthey Athletic Center: the team has won 12 consecutive games and has a two-game lead over the Zags in the West Coast Conference. Indeed, the team has not lost a game since December 22, 2011, when they were defeated by sixth-ranked Baylor, a team with serious championship aspirations. Other than an unexpected early-season loss to Denver in November, the Gaels have played excellent basketball.

The highlight of St. Mary’s season had to have been their 21-point victory over Gonzaga one month ago, a win that cemented their status as a serious contender in the West Coast Conference. In that game, the Zags were taken by surprise with the superb play of St. Mary’s front line, despite the fact that their best forward, Rob Jones, was held to just two points. However, forwards Mitchell Young and Brad Wadlow were able to pick up the slack by combining for 39 points and 16 rebounds.

At the same time, the Gaels were able to neutralize the Bulldogs’ Robert Sacre, the dominant 7-foot center who averages more than 11 points per game, by holding him to just four points and three rebounds. Without a better effort by Sacre and the rest of Gonzaga’s front court, the Gaels have an excellent chance to sweep the Bulldogs on the way to their first championship since 1989.

With Matthew Dellavedova leading St. Mary’s offense, it would seem that the Gaels should be able to do just that. However, many people are still unimpressed by St. Mary’s lackluster schedule, which is currently ranked 125th in the nation. As such, Gonzaga is giving 3.5 points to the Gaels. Considering the outcome of their last match-up, it would be very difficult not to take those points and bet on the Gaels when making your sports betting picks for the night.