CBB Predictions: Will Saint Mary’s cruise to a cover vs. Western Kentucky?

WKU vs. St. Mary's Prediction

Can No. 20 Saint Mary’s manage to cover a lofty spread at home when it hosts Western Kentucky tonight at 10PM ET?

According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Saint Mary’s is the clear favorite tonight, as the Gaels are getting odds of -21.5 points against the Hilltoppers. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 134 points. These two have no recent meetings to consider.

Bet on Western Kentucky vs. St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s is off to a 7-1 start to the season following an 84-53 win over Cal-Irvine this past weekend. The Gaels are 5-2 against the spread this season, but they failed to cover in two games as a 15-point favorite or greater. St. Mary’s puts up 76.3 points per game on offense while shooting an impressive 50.9 percent from the field. Defensively they are giving up just 61 points per contest. Jock Landale is the clear leader of this team as he is putting up 18.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Calvin Hermanson is adding 12.8 points per game.

Western Kentucky snapped a four-game losing streak this weekend with a 77-59 win at Indiana State, a team that has had some impressive wins to start the season. The Hilltoppers are now 4-5 on the year and just 2-5 against the spread. They are putting up just 66.6 points per game on offense and average only 10.9 assists per game compared to 18 per game for the Gaels. Defensively, WKU is allowing 70.2 points per contest. Que Johnson and Justin Johnson are leading WKU. Que is putting up 14.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season while Justin is averaging 12.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest.

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The Hilltoppers are in the midst of a six-game road trip now, and while they picked up an impressive win at Indiana State and covered at Missouri, things pick up now against the Gaels. There is a clear offensive edge for St. Mary’s in terms of scoring and ball movement. Western Kentucky relies too much on solo play to keep pace with the Gaels. WKU has lost by large margins before to the likes of Washington and Eastern Kentucky. It should be similar tonight.

 

COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: SAINT MARY’S -21.5