Pepperdine Waves vs Santa Clara Broncos Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Pepperdine vs Santa Clara NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Santa Clara.

Pepperdine vs Santa Clara Prediction

Planning on watching today's Waves and Broncos game? Catch the action at Leavey Center in Santa Clara, CA, as the Broncos hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 148.5 points, and Santa Clara is favored by -15.5 vs. Pepperdine in a West Coast conference matchup.

Pepperdine vs. Santa Clara Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Pepperdine Waves at Santa Clara Broncos
Where: Santa Clara at Leavey Center
Date: Saturday, December 28th
Betting Odds SANCLR -15.5, PEPP +1000 | SANCLR -2100 O/U 148.5

Waves Preview: Is an Upset Waiting to Happen on the Road?

Pepperdine Waves Recent Game/Games

Pepperdine improved to 5-7 on the season with an 85-46 home win over UC Davis on Saturday, December 21st. The Waves were favored by 1 point and covered the spread, while the game’s total points of 131 fell short of the 147.5 O/U line.

Pepperdine dominated from the start, leading 43-19 at halftime. They continued their strong play in the 2nd half, scoring 42 points and allowing just 27.

Waves Offense Breakdown

Pepperdine put up 85 points in their last game, shooting 51.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 58.1%. They connected on 58.5% of their two-point attempts and hit 38.1% from beyond the arc, going 8-for-21 from three-point range.

The Waves struggled at the free-throw line, making just 56.5% of their attempts, but they grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 18 assists. Dovydas Butka led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and 2-for-2 from three-point range.

Waves Team Defense

Despite giving up 46 points, Pepperdine's defense struggled, allowing the opponent to shoot 51% from the field. They gave up 24 two-point baskets on 41 attempts, a 58% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, the opponent hit 8 of 21 threes, shooting 38%. Pepperdine also sent them to the free-throw line 23 times, where they made 13, shooting 56%. The Waves allowed 14 offensive rebounds.

Broncos Preview: Does Santa Clara Have What it Takes at Home?

Santa Clara Broncos Recent Game/Games

Santa Clara improved to 8-5 on the season with a 98-81 home win over South Dakota on Saturday, December 21st. The Broncos entered the game as -18.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 179, surpassing the O/U line of 168.5.

Santa Clara took control early, leading 60-39 at halftime. However, they allowed South Dakota to outscore them 42-38 in the 2nd half, which kept the final margin closer than expected.

Broncos Offense Breakdown

Santa Clara's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 98 points with a field goal percentage of 52.7%. They were particularly effective from two-point range, hitting 65% of their shots, and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 62.2%. The Broncos also connected on 13 of 34 three-point attempts, shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc.

The Broncos dished out 31 assists and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. Adama-Alpha Bal led the way with 20 points, shooting 61.5% from the field and 57.1% from three-point range. Johnny O'Neil was also a key contributor, hitting 4 of 6 threes and finishing with 15 points and 6 assists.

Broncos Team Defense

Santa Clara's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 81 points on 52% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to hit 65% of their two-point attempts, with 26 made shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, the Broncos gave up 13 threes on 34 attempts, a 38% shooting clip. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 11 times, where they made 7 shots.

Waves vs Broncos Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road games, Pepperdine has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 57 points per game.
Through their last ten home games, Santa Clara has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 3-7 while averaging 71 points per game.
The last five games that Pepperdine was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-4 while going 1-4 straight up.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Broncos have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.