Saint Mary's Gaels vs Pepperdine Waves Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/29/2024

Game Time: 11:00 pm ET, Thursday, February 29, 2024

Venue:  Firestone Fieldhouse, Malibu, CA

Where to Watch:  CBS Sports

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Saint Mary’s -15.5, Pepperdine +15.5; Over/Under:  138 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Saint Mary’s -15.5, Pepperdine +15.5; Over/Under:  138 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Saint Mary’s -15.5, Pepperdine +15.5; Over/Under:  138 points

Saint Mary's Gaels:  23-6 (14-0) (1st place, WCC)

Pepperdine Waves:  12-18 (5-10) (6th place, WCC)

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Saint Mary's Gaels:  5-0  last 5

Pepperdine Waves:  3-2  last 5

Saint Mary’s is entering this game with a 23-6 record overall, a 14-0 record in conference games, and they are 8-0 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the San Diego Toreros in their last game. Mitchell Saxen led the team in points per game in that game with 20 while Alex Ducas was next on the team with 18. Augustas Marčiulionis led the team in assists with 10 in that game while Alex Ducas led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 55.9% from the field, 45.8% from 3-point range, and 68.8% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 74.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 58.1 PPG against them. Saint Mary’s has an ATS record of 15-13 this season and their O/U record is 15-13.

Pepperdine is entering this game with a 12-18 record overall, a 5-10 conference record, and they are 9-7 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the San Francisco Dons in their last game. Jevon Porter led the team in points in that game with 23 while Houston Mallette was next on the team with 15. Houston Mallette led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Michael Ajayi led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 45.8% from the field, 38.9% from 3-point range, and 58.6% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 73.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 75.3 PPG against them. Pepperdine has an ATS record of 12-16 this season and their O/U record is 15-12-1.

The current betting odds have Saint Mary's listed as a 15.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Saint Mary's has looked really good in their games this season with their 23-6 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country. They have looked great in the WCC this year with their 14-0 conference record which leads the way and they have also been a great road team with their 8-0 road record. Meanwhile, Pepperdine has looked terrible in their games this season with their 12-18 record overall and their 5-10 conference record which has them well out of contention in the WCC this year. They haven't been that great on their home court either with their 9-7 home record. Pepperdine has looked better in their games lately with their 3-2 record in their last 5 games, but they are still coming off a bad loss to San Francisco in their last one and are now facing the best team in the conference this season. Even with Pepperdine looking better lately, they haven't been nearly as hot as Saint Mary's has been with their undefeated record in the WCC and Saint Mary's will be looking to finish the regular season hot with all that momentum they have been gaining. The best way to place a bet here is on Saint Mary's to cover the spread in this game. 

Saint Mary's Pepperdine Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Thursday, February 29, 2024 (11:00 pm ET start time) is Saint Mary’s 88 Pepperdine 66.

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Saint Mary's Gaels: 28-14 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more points. 9-5 ATS against conference opponents. 18-3 ATS after a game with 24 or more assists. 9-5 OVER against conference opponents. 7-2 OVER after a cover as a double digit favorite. 9-5 OVER after a game where they covered the spread.

Pepperdine Waves: 3-12 ATS as an underdog. 18-31 ATS against conference opponents. 11-21 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more. 8-4 OVER when the total is 130 to 139.5. 32-16 OVER against conference opponents. 31-15 OVER revenging a loss vs opponent.

Saint Mary's Gaels:  H. Wessels (C) Ques Thurs - Arm. J. Jefferson (F) out for season - Knee.

Pepperdine Waves:  None.

“We’re not celebrating right now. We’ve got another game Thursday in Malibu and we’ll go from there. These guys have been very good at being able to compartmentalize and not getting distracted on anything else.” - Randy Bennett after his team’s win against San Diego in their last game on Saturday.

"Everyone thinks juco is the bad route to go but I feel like juco gives you a real good opportunity to get better in your game.... It's still a high level. You still have to compete, you still have to go out there and work hard. You can't just jog through the motions. You still have to put the work in and you will see the results." - Michael Ajayi on being named the WCC Player of the Week.

A. Ducas 

J. Jefferson 

A. Mahaney 

A. Marciulionis 

M. Saxen

M. Ajayi 

E. Anderson 

H. Mallette 

M. Moore 

J. Porter

PPG: A. Mahaney (13.9)

APG: A. Marciulionis (4.9)

Reb/G: M. Saxen (7.6)

PPG: M. Ajayi (17.5)

APG: E. Anderson (3.1)

Reb/G: M. Ajayi (9.5)

Coaches:

Saint Mary's Gaels: Randy Bennett (23rd season)

Pepperdine Waves: Lorenzo Romar (6th season)