BYU Basketball opens as 3-point favorite over Saint Mary’s

After over a week off, BYU will make its WCC Tournament debut Monday night versus St Mary’s in the semifinals. Vegas released its line for the game and opened with BYU as 3-point favorites over the Gaels. KenPom gives BYU a 63% chance to win and predicts a 75-72 score in favor of the Cougars.

The Gaels squeaked into the semifinals after a 89-82 double OT win over Pepperdine late Saturday night. Senior guard Jordan Ford played all 50 minutes and scored 42 points to lead the Gaels past the Waves.

Both teams are safely in the NCAA tournament field according to bracketology projections, but this game presents seeding ramifications and a Quadrant One win opportunity for both teams. BYU is probably on the 5 or 6 seed line at the moment, and a win could push BYU closer to the 4 seed line. A win also more than likely means a matchup versus Gonzaga, if they get by San Francisco, which could push BYU up a full seed line if they were able to beat the Zags again.

Both previous matchups between BYU and St Mary’s came down to the wire. The Gaels beat a Yoeli Childs-less squad 87-84 in OT in Moraga, while BYU needed a TJ Haws three to win 81-79 in Provo. Tanner Krebs, St Mary’s third leading scorer, missed the matchup in Provo with an ankle injury.

BYU-St Mary’s are scheduled to tip off Monday night at 8:30 pm PST on ESPN2.