Saint Mary’s Gaels vs Washington State Cougars Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Saint Mary's vs Washington State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Pullman.

Saint Mary's vs Washington State Prediction

The Gaels and Cougars are set to face off at 8:00 ET on CBSS. The Cougars will host the game at Friel Court in Pullman, WA. Saint Mary's is the -5.5 point favorites in this non-conference matchup against Washington State. The over/under for the game is set at 139.5 points.

Saint Mary's vs. Washington State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Saint Mary's Gaels at Washington State Cougars
Where: Pullman at Friel Court
Date: Saturday, January 25th
Betting Odds STMRY -5.5, STMRY -240 | WASHST +195 O/U 139.5

Gaels Preview: Will Saint Mary's Live Up to Expectations on the Road?

Saint Mary's Gaels Recent Game/Games

Saint Mary's improved to 16-3 on the season with a 71-51 win over San Francisco on Thursday. The Gaels, who were -10.5 favorites, covered the spread in the home victory.

After leading 36-28 at halftime, Saint Mary's clamped down defensively, allowing just 23 points in the second half while scoring 35. The total points for the game were 122, falling short of the 133.5 O/U line.

Gaels Offense Breakdown

Saint Mary's shot 61.5% from the field in their last game, hitting 32 of 52 attempts. Their two-point shooting was particularly strong, as they connected on 66% (31/47) of their shots inside the arc, while struggling from three-point range, making just 1 of 5 attempts (20%).

Paulius Murauskas led the way with 24 points on 10 of 14 shooting, while Mitchell Saxen and Carlton Linguard Jr. each added 14 points. The Gaels finished with 19 assists, and their free-throw shooting was a weak point, as they hit just 6 of 14 attempts (42.9%).

Gaels Team Defense

Saint Mary's Gaels gave up 51 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 61% from the field. The Gaels struggled to defend inside, with their opponent hitting 66% of their two-point attempts (31/47).

From beyond the arc, Saint Mary's held their opponent to 20% shooting, with just 1 made three-pointer on 5 attempts. The Gaels also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 14 times, where they converted 6 shots (42%).

Cougars Preview: Can the Cougars Grab a Win at Home?

Washington State Cougars Recent Game/Games

Washington State fell to 15-6 on the season after a 93-65 road loss to Santa Clara on Thursday. The Cougars entered the game as +5 underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 49-38 at halftime, Washington State managed just 27 points in the second half while allowing 44. The total points for the game ended at 158, just under the 158.5 O/U line.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Washington State put up 65 points in their last game, shooting 45.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.8%. They connected on 39.1% of their three-point attempts, hitting 9 of 23 from deep, while going 8 for 13 from the free-throw line, good for 61.5%.

LeJuan Watts led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 7 of 10 from the field and a perfect 3 for 3 from beyond the arc. Johnny O'Neil added 17 points in just 18 minutes, hitting 5 of 7 threes, while Adama-Alpha Bal and Ethan Price each contributed 16 points.

Cougars Team Defense

Washington State's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 93 points on 47% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 52% of their two-point attempts, going 21/40 inside the arc.

From three-point range, Washington State's defense allowed 13 threes on 32 attempts, a 40% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 14 times, where they converted 12 for 85%. The Cougars gave up 18 offensive rebounds as well.

Gaels vs Cougars Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Saint Mary's has played well in their previous three road games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 86 points per game while allowing 54. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
In their last ten games at home, the Cougars have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 4-6 vs. the spread. The team averaged 69 points per game in this stretch.
The last ten games that Washington State was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 3-7 straight up.
Saint Mary's has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.