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Gonzaga vs Santa Clara: A WCC matchup
Two teams from the West Coast Conference that have still not lost within it will face each other tonight at Delivery Center, where Santa Clara will host Gonzaga.
Gonzaga is back on the winning track
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are ranked 23rd in the country and are currently on top of the WCC with an 11-4 record. They have won both conference games so far in the season and are coming off back-to-back wins against Pepperdine and San Diego. They beat the Toreros 101-74, with forward Ben Gregg scoring 22 points off the bench. The Bulldogs are ranked 15th in the nation, shooting 49.8% from the field. They are ranked sixth with 31.9 field goals made per game. Gonzaga is also 17th in the nation, scoring 84.9 points per game. Forward Graham Ike leads the team with 15.2 points and 8 rebounds per game.
Santa Clara is back at home
The Santa Clara Broncos are third in the WCC conference with an 11-6 record. They are also 2-0 in the conference games. Santa Clara is coming off back-to-back wins, and in the last one, they beat Pepperdine 78-72. Junior guard Adama Bal scored a season-high 28 points. The Broncos shoot 46.9% from the field, being among the top 100 schools in the nation. They are also a solid rebounding team, with 35.2 boards per game. Bal leads the team with 15.9 points per game.
Betting Trends
Gonzaga is 7-8-1 ATS for the season while Santa Clara is 6-8-0.
Player to watch
Senior guard Carlos Marshall Jr. is averaging 14.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for Snta Clara. He is the most efficient player on the team, shooting 50.9% from the field. Marshall Jr. has scored in double digits in the last two wins.
Injury Reports
Guards Luka Krajinovic and Steele Venters are out for Gonzaga while Santa Clara has their full roster available.
Prediction and Conclusion
Gonzaga is going into this game as a 9.5-point favorite. They have won the last 10 games against the Broncos, and that will probably be the case in this one as well. However, Santa Clara has won the last two games. They are playing at a high level and are one of the teams that overachieved this season. Santa Clara has covered the spread in half of their games. This game can boost their confidence pretty high going into the second half of the season. The Broncos definitely possess everything they need to keep this game close and cover the given spread.
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