Santa Clara Broncos vs Washington State Cougars Matchup

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

Washington State vs Santa Clara Prediction

Planning on watching today's Cougars and Broncos game? Catch the action at Leavey Center in Santa Clara, CA, as the Broncos hosts this showdown at 11:00 ET on CBSS. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Santa Clara as the -5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 159 points.

Washington State vs. Santa Clara Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Washington State Cougars at Santa Clara Broncos
Where: Santa Clara at Leavey Center
Date: Thursday, January 23rd
Betting Odds SANCLR -5, WASHST +167 | SANCLR -203 O/U 159

Cougars Preview: Will the Cougars Make it Happen in Santa Clara?

Washington State Cougars Recent Game/Games

Washington State improved to 15-5 on the season with a 92-70 win over Portland on Saturday. The Cougars were -17.5 favorites going into the game and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 162, surpassing the over/under line of 155.5.

Washington State led 44-35 at halftime and continued their strong play in the second half, scoring 48 points while holding Portland to 35. The Cougars’ performance on both ends of the floor was key to their victory.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Washington State's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 92 points with a 53% shooting performance from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 59.1%, thanks in large part to their 69.2% shooting on two-point attempts. The Cougars struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 29.6% of their threes, and their free-throw shooting was also subpar at 60.9%.

Nate Calmese and Chris Austin both scored 23 points, with Calmese adding 8 assists. Austin was 4-of-5 from three-point range, finishing with an overall shooting percentage of 72.7%. Dane Erikstrup contributed 17 points, hitting 4 threes, while LeJuan Watts and Ethan Price each grabbed 7 rebounds.

Cougars Team Defense

Washington State's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 70 points on 53% shooting from the field. The Cougars allowed their opponent to hit 69% of their two-point attempts, with 27 made shots from inside the arc.

From three-point range, Washington State's defense held their opponent to 29% shooting, as they connected on 8 of 27 attempts. The Cougars also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they made 14 shots, shooting 60%.

Broncos Preview: Does Santa Clara Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

Santa Clara Broncos Recent Game/Games

Santa Clara improved to 13-7 on the season with a 103-99 road win over Gonzaga on Saturday. The Broncos were +15 point underdogs going into the game and not only covered the spread but pulled off the upset.

Santa Clara trailed 45-44 at halftime but came out strong in the 2nd half, scoring 59 points while allowing 54. The game’s total points of 202 went well over the pre-game O/U line of 161.5.

Broncos Offense Breakdown

Santa Clara's offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 103 points with a 53.7% shooting performance from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 67.2%, thanks in part to hitting 18 threes at a 47.4% clip. Inside the arc, they connected on 62.1% of their two-point attempts.

Tyeree Bryan led the way with 35 points, hitting 7 threes at 58.3% shooting from deep. Nolan Hickman added 24 points, shooting 60% from three, while Graham Ike contributed 21 points. Ryan Nembhard dished out 15 assists, and Ben Gregg was perfect from the field, going 5-for-5.

Broncos Team Defense

Santa Clara's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 99 points on 54% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to hit 68% of their two-point attempts, with 26 made baskets inside the arc.

From three-point range, Santa Clara's opponents shot 35%, connecting on 10 of 28 attempts. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 23 times, where they made 17 free throws, shooting 73%.

Cougars vs Broncos Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road games, Washington State has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 5-5 while averaging 70 points per game.
Through their last ten home games, Santa Clara has an ATS record of just 4-6. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 74 points per game.
The last ten games that Washington State was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 4-6 straight up.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Broncos have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-7.