BYU Cougars at Saint Mary’s Gaels
Thursday, 12/29/11, 11:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN2
Opening Point Spread: Saint Mary’s -4
Current Betting Line: Saint Mary’s -3.5
Opening Total: 144
Current Total: 144.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
BYU will play its first West Coast Conference game in its history Thursday night after being a member of the Mountain West Conference from 1999 to 2011. The Cougars won six conference titles during that time period and posted a 126-54 mark (.700) against conference foes. Senior forward Noah Hartsock is the team’s most consistent player offensively, averaging 17.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in every game this season. BYU is 3-8 ATS as an underdog the last two-plus seasons, including an 0-2 ATS mark this year.
The Cougars are definitely balanced when you consider that six players have scored 20-plus points on the roster this year. BYU has won three consecutive games since dropping an 86-83 home decision to the Baylor Bears on Dec. 17. Junior forward Brandon Davies is certainly a player to watch, averaging 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He has tallied two double-doubles this season, with one of them coming against the Bears.
Saint Mary’s will host the league’s newest member inside McKeon Pavilion and the program is one of eight to win at least 25 games in each of the last four seasons. Ironically enough, the BYU Cougars and Gonzaga Bulldogs fall into that category, giving the WCC three of the eight squads. The Gaels lead the conference in scoring defense, scoring margin, field-goal percentage and scoring margin. Senior forward Rob Jones definitely controls the boards in averaging 10.6 rebounds per game. Saint Mary’s is 14-5 ATS in December the last two-plus years.
The Gaels enter this contest with an 11-2 overall record and will look to put at least 70 points on the scoreboard, posting a 76-8 mark when doing so the past four seasons. Saint Mary’s completed a recent five-game homestand in eight days by registering a perfect 5-0 record and winning those particular contests by an average of 25.4 points per game. Winning in tonight’s venue is something the program is use to, posting a 68-7 record over the last five seasons, while tallying a 130-46 mark under current head coach Randy Bennett.
Bettors will likely back the Gaels due to their 5-0 ATS mark at home, while the Cougars are 1-4 ATS when playing on Thursday.
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