Vaughn Dalzell breaks down why he thinks Gonzaga is the best bet to win the West Coast Conference Tournament.
West Coast Conference: Gonzaga Bulldogs (-135)
Gonzaga opens as a slight favorite over Saint Mary’s (+115) to win the WCC Tournament and I expect steam to push this out further.
We won’t be able to roll the Gonzaga ML over since the WCC only has two games needed to win for the No. 1 and 2 seeds. Gonzaga will be laying -10 or more in the first game of the tournament and likely at least -4 in the final if it is indeed a Gonzaga versus Saint Mary’s final.
Gonzaga beat Saint Mary’s 77-68 at home on Feb. 25 after losing at Saint Mary’s 78-70 in OT (Feb. 4) to split the season series. The Bulldogs are still the cream of the crop in the WCC and with the way they have played lately, Gonzaga is a train going 100 MPH that no one wants to step in front of.
From February 1st and on, Gonzaga ranks as the best team in the country in Barttorvik’s rankings compared to Saint Mary’s at No. 28. The Bulldogs have the No. 1 offense in the nation during that span and have turned the ball over 12.5% of the time, ranking No. 9 -- Gonzaga is No. 1 and No. 10 overall on the season in those two areas.
The Bulldogs have scored at least 88 points in seven of the past eight games and have the most neutral court experience in this tournament field along with a veteran group that ranks top 50 in returning minutes and average DI experience.
I like Gonzaga to win the WCC Tournament and got this at -135 odds. I’d go out to -150 for risking 2 units. I don’t think anyone outside of Gonzaga (-135) or Saint Mary’s (+115) will win this tournament. Loyola Marymount has a case, but you are better off betting them to upset Saint Mary’s.
If Gonzaga wins the WCC, they are a No. 2 seed for me, if not they will fall between a No. 3-4 on Selection Sunday.
Pick: Gonzaga to win the West Coast Conference (Risk 2u)
WCC Team Odds
Gonzaga (-135), Saint Mary’s (+115), BYU (+1900), San Francisco (+2800)
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