Saint Mary’s has a strangle hold on the West Coast Conference, sporting a two game lead with a 13-1 conference record. Tonight, they take on the Portland Pilots, one of the worst teams the conference has to offer at 10-17 overall and 5-9 in conference play.

These two teams already met once this season and the Gaels walked away with an 81-58 victory. Will we see another lopsided affair tonight? The oddsmakers seem to think so.

Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook

Spread

Moneyline

Total: 140.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Austin Rapp OVER 10.5 Points (-125 via BetMGM)

Austin Rapp averaged 32.0 minutes per game, almost five minutes more than any other player on Portland so we can say confidently that he’s going to have plenty of chances against Saint Mary’s tonight. The last time these two teams faced, he put up 12 shots throughout the game. He only made three of those shots, but he still finished with 10 points. A slightly better shooting performance from him tonight should easily cash the OVER 10.5 points.

Mitchell Saxen OVER 8.5 Rebounds (-118 via BetMGM)

One of Portland’s biggest weaknesses is its inability to rebound. The Pilots rank 301st in the country in rebounding, grabbing just 47.3% of boards. That should lead to Mitchell Saxen having a big game in the rebounding department. He recorded 10 against Portland in the first meeting between these two teams and 7.9 per game this season.

Before you bet on Portland because you feel the spread is too big, consider the fact St. Mary’s has the 13th highest average scoring margin in college basketball at +12.6, so beating up on inferior opponents is nothing to new to them.

The Pilots have little to offer Saint Mary’s tonight, especially with it being a road game for them. Portland ranks outside the top 250 in effective field goal percentage, rebounding, and most notably, defensive efficiency. They’re one of the worst defensive teams in the country, allowing an average of 81.9 points per game, which ranks 351st among 364 division one teams.

The Gaels will blow through the Pilots tonight with relative ease. Don’t be afraid to lay the big number.

Pick: Saint Mary’s -23.5 (-118) via BetMGM

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