The Saint Mary’s Gaels (9-6) and their phenomenal offense visit San Francisco to play the Dons (12-2) and their superb defense. Action gets underway at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 3, 2019, and can be seen on ESPN2.
Saint Mary’s Gaels vs. San Francisco Dons ATS Odds
Both teams had no trouble getting past their last opponent. The Dons defeated the UC Davis Aggies 76-42, while the Gaels beat the McNeese State Cowboys 87-65.
Saint Mary’s played a nearly perfect game. They had a turnover percentage of 7.1 and a free throw rate of 0.167. McNeese State was 16.8 and 0.119, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, San Francisco dominated nearly every facet of their game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.4 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.574. For those same stats, UC Davis recorded marks of 13.5 and 0.304, respectively. Jordan Ratinho had a good outing for San Francisco, finishing with 14 points. Malik Fitts, meanwhile was a key piece for Saint Mary’s with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
This series was highly contested last year. Each won one of the two games played against each other last season. The Dons won the last matchup 70-63. Getting to the charity stripe was one of San Francisco’s biggest strengths. They had 29 free throw attempts, while Saint Mary’s had 15. This is the first time these teams will go head-to-head this year.
Jordan Ford has taken his game to another level recently for Saint Mary’s, averaging 0 points over the last five games.
This battle figures to be a high-scoring affair as two of the nation’s top offenses go head-to-head. San Francisco ranks 32nd with 115.6 points per 100 possessions and Saint Mary’s is 14th (117.5).
Saint Mary’s vs. San Francisco ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – San Francisco, ATS Winner – Saint Mary’s, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- San Francisco ranks 20th in rebounds per game (40.8) while Saint Mary’s ranks 190th (34.6).
- The Dons rank sixth in steals allowed per game (4.2) while the Gaels rank 15th (4.8).
- The Gaels rank ninth in three pointers allowed per game (17.8) while the Dons rank 65th (20.5).
- San Francisco is 11th in the NCAA with 10.1 assists allowed per game while Saint Mary’s is 21st with 10.3 assists allowed per game.
Bettings Trends:
- The Dons’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 29.4, up from 18.4 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Gaels have scored an average of 74.4 points per game (2.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.4 points per game (0.5 below their season average).
