Saint Mary's Gaels vs Washington State Cougars

This NCAAB matchup features Saint Mary's Gaels (24-4 (15-0)) traveling to take on Washington State Cougars (12-16 (9-5)) at Beasley Coliseum, Pullman, WA. The Saint Mary's hold a clear statistical edge this season, outperforming the Washington St by 14.6 points per game in scoring margin. That differential will be a key factor in this matchup. On offense, Washington St averages 77.0 points per game, which exceeds what the Saint Mary's defense typically allows (64.2 PPG). That mismatch could give the home side opportunities to exploit. The Saint Mary's offense puts up 78.3 PPG and faces a Washington St defense allowing 77.4 PPG. The visitors have the offensive firepower to stay in this one. Home court advantage is worth approximately 3.5 points in NCAAB, and Washington St will look to leverage their home crowd. Our model projects Saint Mary's to win by approximately 7.5 points. The 68% confidence interval ranges from Washington St winning by 6 to losing by 21. Our model aligns closely with the market on this one, suggesting the oddsmakers have priced this game efficiently. Look for small edges in the total and moneyline markets to capitalize on any remaining value.

Washington St has struggled this season at 12-16 (9-5). The wins have been hard to come by, and the team is looking for answers on both ends of the floor. Home court advantage will be critical for any chance at pulling off an upset. Saint Mary's comes in with an impressive 24-4 (15-0) record. They've been among the best teams in their conference and are playing with the confidence of a squad that expects to win. Road games can be tricky, but this team has the poise to handle hostile environments. When these teams meet, the home team typically has the edge given the crowd advantage and familiarity factor. The team that controls tempo and limits turnovers will likely dictate the outcome of this matchup.