The Saint Mary’s Gaels will host the Washington State Cougars on Saturday night, eyeing an opportunity to extend their lead as the leader in the WCC standings.
This is the second matchup of the season for these two teams. The Gaels came out victorious, 80-75, in Pullman less than a month ago, making a second-half comeback to ensure the win. Can the Cougars return the favor, taking a game on Saint Mary’s home court? Or will the Gaels pull off a season-sweep?
Find out below as we make a prediction for this late night WCC matchup as well as examining the spread, total, and money line bets.
Washington State vs. Saint Mary’s Betting Preview
All Washington State vs. Saint Mary’s odds are from Fanduel Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.
- Spread
Saint Mary’s -14.5 - CSN Spread
Saint Mary’s -5 - Moneyline
Saint Mary’s -2000, Washington State +1000 - Over/Under
139.5 points - Game Time
Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 p.m. ET - Location
University Credit Union Pavilion | Morage, CA - How To Watch
ESPN2
Washington State heads in Morage with a 16-10 overall and 6-7 conference record, good for seventh place in the WCC. They’re 14-12 ATS, including 6-7 in conference play. The Cougars have had trouble covering lately — in fact, they haven’t covered in four consecutive games and six of their last eight.
An even 13-13 O/U record this season, Washington State allows 76.3 points per game and scores nearly 79 points per game. Seven of their 13 conference matchups have gone over the listed point total, yet only three of nine road games have reached that threshold.
Saint Mary’s is 22-4 on the season with a 12-1 WCC record, placing them in first place. They’re 12-13 ATS — but 9-4 in conference matchups. However, as a home favorite, the Gaels are only 4-8 ATS.
A middling offensive team and excellent defensive team, Saint Mary’s over/under record matches that description. Of their 25 games, only 10 have reached the over. In WCC play, only four of 13 outings have gone over, including each of their last five.
Washington State vs. Saint Mary’s CSN Power Rankings Line
The CSN line is listed at -5 in favor of Saint Mary’s, a large difference between the -14.5 that Vegas has listed. Our power rankings are low on the Gaels, slotting them at No. 53 while Washington State takes the 80th spot.
The particularly close ranking likely has much to do with our line being closer than the consensus.
Prediction for Washington State vs. Saint Mary’s
The first meeting of the season between these teams ended in a Gaels victory led by the scoring of forward Paulius Murauskas, who poured in a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds.
It was an exceptional shooting night all around, with both teams shooting above 57% from the field, a blistering mark. Four Cougar starters scored in double figures.
Washington State will hope to repeat those efforts led by guard Nate Calmese, who averages 16.2 points per game on 49.3% shooting from the field. Forwards LeJuan Watts and Dane Erikstrup excel down low, averaging 13.4 and 12.6 points per game, respectively.
Saint Mary’s is led by senior point guard Augustus Marciulionis, who plays an extremely mature floor game. In addition to leading the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game, he produces 6.0 assists per game, good for 19th in the nation. Murauskas gives the Gaels a solid 1-2 guard-forward punch.
Fifth-year senior Mitchell Saxen has been a staple in Saint Mary’s starting lineup for years now, pulling in a team-leading 8.0 rebounds per game and scoring over 10 points a night.
Best Bets and Final Score Prediction
Although the first matchup in this season’s series combined in 155 points, the pace was rather slow; the only reason they scored that many points was because of the other-worldly shooting percentages displayed by both teams.
That’s shown to be a deviation from the mean across the entire body of work for each — for that reason, we’ll take the under of 139.5.
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Although the Cougars are coming off a victory in their last game, that preceded five consecutive losses, assuming that they suddenly got their mojo back after a one-point win at home over the eighth-place Pepperdine Waves wouldn’t be smart.
I expect the Gaels to dictate the pace and come out with a commanding victory, covering the line of -14.5. They’ve shown a propensity for big wins on Saturday night at home — we’ll follow that trend and take their side of the line.
Picks: Under 139.5 points, Saint Mary’s -14.5
Prediction: Saint Mary’s 76, Washington State 60
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