Best Bet For The West Coast Championship

Santa Clara vs. Gonzaga, 9:00 ET

It was a tough Monday for me as I dropped both of my games that I put out there. The basketball game actually involved one of these teams, but with College Basketball, you almost always have games the next day to get back on the winning track. When Conference Tournament time rolls around, these teams start playing every day, and that gives us an opportunity to reclaim what we lost right away. Tonight, the West Coast Conference Tournament Champion will be crowned. It will either be Santa Clara or Gonzaga.

Santa Clara won their game yesterday. For a full recap of their season, feel free to read my article from yesterday. I'm really just going to talk about their games in this tournament at this point. They started playing on Sunday, and they were able to beat Pacific by eight points. They won both halves of that game, and while it wasn't complete domination, it was a fairly comfortable victory. In yesterday's game against Saint Mary's, they were trailing at halftime and had to figure some things out. I won't say it was a major adjustment in the second half, but it might've just been that shots started falling. That is evidenced by the Broncos hitting eight threes in the second half compared to just three in the first. Defensively, they were basically the same team, allowing 35 in the first half and 36 in the second.

March 8, 2026; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Santa Clara Broncos celebrate applying the team sticker on the tournament bracket after the game against the Pacific Tigers at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Gonzaga won their game yesterday against Oregon State. It was a comfortable win, with the Bulldogs winning by nine. The total came in at just 121, so it was a bit low-scoring for a game. I don't want to take too much away from Gonzaga, but this wasn't much of a challenge for them to beat the Beavers last night. They've only lost three games this season, with one being to Portland and the other to Saint Mary's. The other was the blowout loss to Michigan. They've played better competition this season than their opponents, but that doesn't mean they can't lose this game. This is also the third time they are facing Santa Clara. They've won the first two games against them, beating them at home by 12, and by eight on the road. 

This really shouldn't be a surprise that Santa Clara is in the Championship. They were just a game back of Gonzaga and Saint Mary's this year. However, I do think they will miss the NCAA Tournament if they lose this game. One note before I give you a play for the game. I shared that I was taking Gonzaga at -180 to win the Tournament yesterday because they would only need to win two games, and I fully expected them to be in this game. If you did the same, you can risk a half unit on the Broncos to win at +210. If Gonzaga loses, you're only losing .7u. If they win, you're picking up a half unit. It is your call, I personally will let it ride as I think Gonzaga wins. However, I do think the Broncos can cover. I think a better bet is to take the under. These teams are unlikely to each be putting up around 40 points in both halves. I think the game gets slowed down as teams try to figure out the best play for the situation. Give me under 161.5.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024