St. Marys Gaels at Arizona Wildcats Free Pick - Betting Odds
Date:
March 18, 7:45 pm
Location:
Vivant Smart Home Arena
TV:
CBS
Betting Odds
Point Spread:
Arizona -5
Total:
133
<p>
We are now in to the second round of March Madness and with it comes a cornucopia of riveting contests and matches. Perhaps none can be as explosive as the meeting between the Gaels of St. Mary’s and the Arizona Wildcats, affectionately known as Desert Swarm. The festivities are set to take place at the Vivant Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The scheduled tip-off time is 7:45 PM ET. The game will be broadcasted on CBS for national audiences. The two teams share one key common opponent: Gonzaga. Neither Zona nor Mary’s were successful against the Zags but Arizona came closest to beating them on a neutral court earlier this season when they fell by four points.
</p>
<div class="promo">
GET UP TO $250 FREE AT ONE OF THE BEST SPORTSBOOKS ONLINE: <a class="advblue" href="javascript:GoTo(Bovada)" title="Bovada Sports Book">BOVADA</a>.
</div>
<p>
St. Mary’s enters this contest off an impressive win against #10 seed VCU in the first round of the tournament. In this meeting, many expected the Gaels to fall out but they answered the bell with a dynamic performance against the Rams. Arizona comes in on the heels of a Pac-12 Championship and followed up their efforts when they cruised by #15 seed North Dakota in the first round.
</p>
<h2>
Straight Up and Against the Point Spread Records<br />
</h2>
<p>
St. Mary’s Gaels, 29-4 SU, 17-11 ATS<br />
Arizona Wildcats, 31-4 SU, 18-14 ATS
</p>
<h2>
Saint Mary’s at Arizona Key Betting Trends<br />
</h2>
<ul>
<li>
Saint Mary’s is 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight matches overall.
</li>
<li>
Arizona is 9-1 SU in their last 10 contests.
</li>
<li>
Arizona is 7-2 SU on neutral courts, this season.
</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Public Money Consensus<br />
</h2>
<p>
Presently, 88% of the public like the Wildcats against the spread. The market has moved by as much as 2.5 points due to heavy action rolling on Desert Swarm. On the Money Line, St. Mary’s is offered at the price of +184 compared to Desert Swarm who are currently offered as a significant -220 favorite. Mirroring the metrics seen in against the spread markets, 85% of the public like the Wildcats on the Money Line. In Over/Under markets, the market sits at 133 after rising by a point from an open of 132. 90% of the public fancy the Over.
</p>
St. Mary’s Gaels at Arizona Wildcats Prediction
The achievements of this Arizona Wildcats team combined with their reputation overall are bound to cause takers to spot an inflated number, as this is a tendency of most popular teams in this tournament. The popular opinion is that St. Mary’s has no chance in this match-up and the public action on this market supports this philosophy. However, the opposite can be inferred as the Gaels have all the metrics to create trouble for Desert Swarm. First off, the Gaels are rated eighth in the country in field goal percentage (49.7%) which is a huge advantage. Given the implications, the Gaels will only be extra prudent in shot selection in this contest. In addition, the Gaels are ranked second in America in scoring defense (57.1 ppg) and are the best in the land in eliminating second chances as they sit first in defensive rebounding (24.1 rpg). When it is factored in that St. Mary’s commit less turnovers compared to Arizona, the Gaels can pull off the upset as they are more bound to play a perfect game against a Wildcats team that may be guilty of looking ahead after taking down Oregon and UCLA in route to their Pac-12 title.
Free Pick:
Take St. Mary’s +5
