Closing in on March Madness, every game counts in NCAA college basketball. As teams enter the playoffs, Online Betting odds are the hot topic for many sports fans. This week features several top matchups including Thursday night's game between the 11th ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs and the WCC conference leader Saint Mary's Gaels.
St. Mary's Gaels @ Gonzaga Bulldogs
Thursday, February 11, 11:00PM (ET)
This NCAA match up features two of the country's hottest teams. The Saint Mary's Gaels are 21-3 for the season including 11 wins in their past 12 games and six in a row. The only loss in that span was to their current opponent, the Gonzaga Bulldogs who are presently ranked 11th in the nation. Gonzaga comes into the game with a 19-3 record; however, two of those losses came against national powers Duke and Michigan State University. Winner of this game takes over sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference.
What Gonzaga needs to do to win
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Play solid defence: Throughout the season, the Saint Mary's Gaels have beaten opponents with a powerful scoring attack. The Gaels are averaging over 81 points per game, which is more than 3 points more per game than Gonzaga. As well, in their last five games, the Saint Mary's Gaels have outscored their opponents 379 to 317. Gonzaga who also allows, on average, 2 points more per game than Saint Mary's must focus on boxing out the Gaels, picking up defensive rebounds, and not having any major mental lapses. The main focus for Gonzaga defenders will be star Omar Samham. Samhan, who plays center for the Gaels is averaging almost 22 points per game and over 11 rebounds.
It will take more than shutting down Samhan to win though, as the Saint Mary's Gaels have five players averaging more than 10 points per game. If the Zags can play solid defence, they will have an excellent chance to win this game.
What St. Mary's needs to do to win
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Quiet the Gonzaga fans: It is crucial to the success of Saint Mary's, for their team to get a lead early to quiet the Gonzaga fans. In college sports, the home crowd is like an extra player on the court, and Gonzaga, who holds a 10-1 home record entering the game, is no different. Luckily, the Saint Mary's Gaels carry a perfect 8-0 road record entering the game and seem to thrive off the pressure of playing in front of loud road crowds.
As well, the Gaels will need to put an early season loss to Gonzaga out of their mind. This game is too crucial to the final standings in the WCC to allow an early season loss to affect their psyche. In their only previous matchup this season, the Zags beat the Gaels 89-82 lead by 31 points from Elias Harris and 22 from Matt Bouldon.
With first place on the line in the WCC, this game has ample meaning for both schools.
