West Coast Conference Tournament Preview & Betting Guide: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's a Cut Above the Rest

It’s looking like a two-horse race in the WCC for yet another season as we head toward conference tournament time. To prepare, we will discuss the favorite, a dark horse, and the best bet that we think could go dancing on the league’s behalf.

Odds Courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook

• Dates: March 2-7
• Location: Orleans Arena – Las Vegas, NV
• Championship Game: Tuesday, March 7, 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN

• Gonzaga: -145 | Saint Mary’s: +120
• Santa Clara: +2600 | BYU: +3500
• Loyola Marymount: +5000 | San Francisco: +6000
• Portland: +21000 | Pacific: +25000
• Pepperdine: +25000 | San Diego: +25000

Isn’t it odd to be 25-5, in contention for a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and have people call this a down year for your program? ‘Tis the life for Gonzaga, who have figured things out over the past month and are now back in KenPom’s top ten for the first time since December.

The Bulldogs have the talent, and they’re starting to play like it. Drew Timme still dominates the paint while providing opportunities for Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton on the perimeter. Keep an eye on sixth-man Malachi Smith as an X-factor. The Chattanooga transfer is shooting 50 percent from three on 70 attempts, the fifth-highest among qualified Division I players.

Part of the high price with the Zags (and St. Mary’s) is the top two seeds automatically advance to the semifinals and must win only two games.

Loyola Marymount has one thing nobody else in this field can say they have: a win over both Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s this season. The Lions have seen success against both teams and boast some serious talent. Senior guard Cam Shelton is a pure bucket-getter. He averages 21.2 points per game and is rarely off the court, averaging 35.6 minutes per outing.

Keli Leaupepe is a versatile forward that can knock down threes, rebound at a high clip, and play many minutes. This massive pricing is because Loyola Marymount would have to beat both WCC powerhouses in 24 hours to pull off the unthinkable. Yikes.

This may be the best Gaels team we have ever seen out of Moraga. Head coach Randy Bennett has a special bunch, and it’s all spearheaded by the backcourt duo of Logan Johnson and Aidan Mahaney. Johnson provides a trustworthy, on-ball senior who can do a little bit of everything with the ball in his hands, whether scoring himself or creating for others.

Mahaney is a phenom that shows incredible poise and consistency for a freshman. He has reached double-digits in scoring in 23 of his previous 26 games. Saint Mary’s ranks higher than Gonzaga by most metric sites, and they are incredible at making the Bulldogs uncomfortable by slowing the game down.

A plus-money bet on the Gaels is where the value lies in the WCC.

For more conference previews on SportsGrid: A-Sun | Ohio Valley