The Santa Clara Broncos take on the Saint Mary's Gaels in Moraga, California. Tip-off is set for 11 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Saint Mary's is favored by 5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -230. The total is set at 151.5 points.
Here’s my Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's prediction and college basketball picks for February 26, 2026.
Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's Prediction
My Pick: Saint Mary's ML -230
My Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's best bet is on the Gaels to win this game outright. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's Odds
| Santa Clara Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 151.5 -110 / -110 | +190 |
| Saint Mary's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 151.5 -110 / -110 | -230 |
- Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's spread: Saint Mary's -5.5
- Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's over/under: 151.5 points
- Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's moneyline: Santa Clara +190, Saint Mary's -230
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Santa Clara vs Saint Mary's College Basketball Betting Preview
Santa Clara Basketball
Santa Clara enters this clash with a 23-6 overall record. This is the Broncos’ second meeting with Saint Mary's this season, after beating the Gaels at the Leavey Center in mid-January.
Santa Clara has won 14 of its last 16 contests, with both of its defeats coming against Gonzaga.
For a Santa Clara program that hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1996, it's been a very promising season for Herb Sendek and company.
While the Broncos may need to prevail in the WCC Tournament to reach the Big Dance, a road victory over Saint Mary's would go a long way toward improving their chances of securing an at-large bid.
Leading the charge for Santa Clara’s offense this season is 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Chase Hammond, who's posting over 16 points per game.
The Broncos’ offense is averaging an impressive 84 points per game, with Sendek’s bunch also ranking 35th in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
Elijah Mahi is having a fantastic season for the Broncos' frontcourt, posting over 14 points per game this season.
On the other end of the floor, the Broncos’ defense is allowing opponents to score 72 points per contest, maintaining a solid double-digit scoring margin.
That being said, Santa Clara’s strength of schedule is pretty subpar.
Santa Clara’s defense ranks outside the top 50 in the country in defensive efficiency, per Haslametrics, and it'll definitely need to improve on that end of the floor if it wants to contend for a conference championship in March.
Saint Mary's Basketball
Saint Mary's heads into Wednesday night’s rematch with Santa Clara with an impressive 25-4 overall record. Like Santa Clara, the Gaels will also be looking to improve their chances for an at-large bid.
The Gaels have far more postseason experience, having made the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons under head coach Randy Bennett. Bennett has served as Saint Mary’s head coach for over 20 seasons and has done a tremendous job transforming the trajectory of this program.
Over the last two decades, Saint Mary's has been Gonzaga’s sole competitor in an otherwise mediocre WCC and has received several at-large NCAA Tournament bids.
Bennett’s bunch has won six consecutive games heading into this matchup, with its last loss coming to Gonzaga a couple of weeks ago.
Paulius Murauskas leads the Gaels’ offense, scoring a remarkable 19 points per contest. The Lithuanian is also posting just shy of eight rebounds per game, along with over two assists.
The Gaels have very frequently recruited international prospects in the Bennett era, with its second-leading scorer Joshua Dent hailing from Wollongong in Australia.
The sophomore leads the Saint Mary's backcourt in scoring with over 13 points per contest.
In addition to international prospects, Saint Mary’s often boasts a ton of experience, as its players very usually stay for all four seasons. The Gaels’ veteran leadership has been a rather large contributor to the program’s success over the last 20-plus years.
Saint Mary’s defensive efforts have been a staple under Bennett, frequently limiting its opponents to under 70 points per game. The Gaels' offense is scoring just under 78 points per game this season, while its defense allows just 65 points on average (eighth nationally).
Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's Betting Analysis
For a league that typically only features two good teams, Santa Clara has been a pleasant surprise in 2025-26, and that means this matchup has substantial postseason implications for both teams.
While the Broncos prevailed on their home floor in the first meeting with the Gaels this season, going on the road to Moraga to defeat Saint Mary's will surely be a far greater challenge.
I think this is a great revenge spot to target the Gaels. Santa Clara’s success this season has been a phenomenal story, but it now runs into a motivated team with a ton of experience winning in late February and March.
So, I'll be backing the Gaels on the moneyline.
My Pick: Saint Mary's ML -230
