Saint Mary's vs UCLA March Madness Odds, Lines & Picks

Two of the best teams on the west coast, St. Mary’s and UCLA, clash on Saturday in the NCAA Round of 32 when the 4-seed Bruins step onto the court against the 5-seed Gaels. UCLA is a -2 ½ morning line chalk. But St. Mary’s dominated Indiana in their first round game. Will the Bruins head to their second straight Sweet 16? Or will St. Mary’s prove they’re no fluke? See below for March Madness odds, analysis, and free picks for St. Mary’s versus UCLA.

Men’s College Basketball East Region: #5 Saint Mary’s vs #4 UCLA

Saint Mary’s Gaels versus UCLA Bruins Betting Info

When: Saturday, March 19 at 7:10 pm ET

Where: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV/Streaming: TBS

Spread Odds: UCLA -2 ½

Moneyline Odds: St. Mary’s +125 / UCLA -145

Total Odds: O 127 -110 / U 127 -110

Why bet on 5-St. Mary’s versus 4-UCLA?

Facing one of the hottest teams in the nation in the first round, the Gaels were absolutely brilliant. St. Mary’s blasted Indiana 82-53. The Gaels did everything they wanted, shooting 52% from the field, 48% from three, and holding the Hoosiers to 20% from three and 34% from the field. St. Mary’s allows 59.4 points per, meaning the Gaels possess one of the top defenses in the nation.

St. Mary’s Gaels Offensive Averages

Points/G: 69.6

FG %: 46.2

3PT %: 34.9

FT %: 75.7

Rebounds/G: 31.2

St. Mary’s Gaels Defensive Averages

Points/G: 59.4

FG %: 42.1

3PT %: 33.3

FT %: 71.1

Rebounds/G: 27.0

Why bet on 4-UCLA versus 5-St. Mary’s?

UCLA is the second best team in the underrated Pac-12 Conference. The Bruins struggled in their first game against Akron, but they managed to get the victory. With the win under their belt, UCLA should play much looser versus St. Mary’s. Nobody on St. Mary’s team can matchup with the terrific Johnny Juzang. Point guard Tyger Campbell should control the flow of this game. Expect a much sharper UCLA Bruins squad on Saturday.

UCLA Bruins Offensive Averages

Points/G: 767

FG %: 44.9

3PT %: 35.2

FT %: 72.7

Rebounds/G: 34.3

UCLA Bruins Defensive Averages

Points/G: 64.3

FG %: 41.4

3PT %: 31.9

FT %: 71.7

Rebounds/G: 30.3

5-St. Mary’s Gaels versus 4-UCLA Bruins Betting Trends

Gaels are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games
St. Mary’s is 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points
Over is 11-5-1 in the Gaels’ last 17
Bruins are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games
UCLA is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss
Over is 5-1 ATS in the Bruins last 5 games following an ATS loss

5-St. Mary’s Gaels versus 4-UCLA Bruins Betting Analysis

St. Mary’s looked like one of the best teams in the nation during the 29 points beating they handed the Indiana Hoosiers. But like with all NCAA Tournament games we must put things in perspective.

The Gaels got a chance to play a tired team. Indiana stepped onto the court in their fifth game in the past 8 days. The Hoosiers had no legs so to speak, which is one of the reasons they shot so poorly and switched so late on the Gaels’ shooters.

UCLA allows less than 32% from three. Not only that, but the Bruins love to run and gun and the Gaels don’t. Also, St. Mary’s tends to bounce after playing a great game evidenced by their 2-6-1 ATS record following a win of 20 points or more.

The Bruins should go back to playing their brand of hoops and St. Mary’s is a better matchup then what they saw from Akron. UCLA wins and covers.

NCAAM Pick: UCLA Bruins