California Golden Bears vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels Odds Preview 12/01/18

The Saint Mary’s Gaels (3-4) meet the California Golden Bears (2-3) at McKeon Pavilion. The game starts at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 1, 2018, and will air on ESPNU.

California Golden Bears vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Prediction

In the Golden Bears’ last outing, they beat the Santa Clara Broncos, 78-66. California’s turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Santa Clara. The Golden Bears had a rate of 13.6 (better than their season average of 18.0), while the Broncos posted a mark of 27.5 (above their season average of 17.8). Paris Austin led the way for California, finishing with 13 points and five assists.

The Gaels fell to the UC Irvine Anteaters in their last outing, 80-75. UC Irvine’s offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest advantage over Saint Mary’s. The Anteaters had a rate of 27.3 (below their season average of 37.1), while the Gaels posted a mark of 17.9 (below their season average of 30.0). With 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting, Jordan Ford was the game’s leading scorer.

The high-powered offense of Saint Mary’s will square off against the bottom-tier defense of California. Since the 2017-18 season, the Gaels rank fourth in offensive efficiency, while the Golden Bears are 321st in defensive efficiency. The Gaels should have the edge on that end of the court. Also, the Golden Bears have been among the NCAA’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking 60th in offensive rebounding percentage (32.9 percent). The Gaels, meanwhile, rank 11th at securing defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 76.8 percent.

The Gaels won the lone game against the Golden Bears last season, 74-63. The Gaels made 18 of their 21 free throws (85.7 percent) and had a better turnover percentage (13.0 vs. 17.2).

California Golden Bears vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Pick

Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Saint Mary’s, ATS Winner – California, O/U – Under

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