West Coast Conference Tournament Picks

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have turned the West Coast Conference into their own personal stomping grounds for the better part of the last two decades. Seriously, Mark Few’s kids have had a hand in winning either the regular season title or conference tournament since the turn of the century! They’ll invade Sin City having cut the nets down in eight of the last nine WCC Tournaments. As such, it comes with little surprise to see BetRivers Sportsbook installing them heavy -375 chalk to turn the trick a third straight time. Makes sense how much easier it is for the top two finishers to actually win the tournament with the top two seeds advancing all the way to the semifinal round which means both only needs to win two games to seal the deal. The No. 3 and No. 4 advances to the quarters. This is why the chalk always prevails in the WCC tourney. Actually strike that statement – it’s why Gonzaga and St. Mary’s have been the only two teams to win the tournament over the last 13 years! Unfortunately, I don’t foresee the trend changing this year either with the Bulldogs and Gaels the best of the bunch by a country mile. Regardless, here’s my favorite, underdog, and longshot selections to win the West Coast Conference Tournament that tips Thursday, March 3 from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

WCC Tournament Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

Gonzaga -375

St. Mary’s +275

Santa Clara +2500

San Francisco +1200

BYU +5000

Portland +10000

San Diego +15000

Pacific +15000

Loyola Marymount +15000

Pepperdine +15000

Favorite to Bet: Gonzaga Bulldogs -375

With a near 79 percent implied probability of cutting the nets down for the third straight season, it’s hard not to want to get a piece of the Zags who will be out to cement a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. They likely have already, but a slip up in this tourney would likely cost them a shot at locking up a top seed for the second time in as many years. Of all the regulated US Sportsbooks, BetRivers price on the Bulldogs is currently the shortest of them all. So, if you feel like laying close to $400 to make a Benjamin, by all means get the most bang for your buck. I wouldn’t mock you for doing so either with this year’s installment clocking in as the No. 1 team in the country per KenPom.com. It’s also the running favorite to cut the nets down in April; so there’s that. Winners in 24 of 27 overall games and going 14-11-2 ATS after routinely laying upwards of 20 points in WCC play, the Zags are a force to be reckoned with. Its lone WCC defeat just occurred against St. Mary’s, but it buried the Gaels 74-58 in a game it should’ve covered as 16-point favorites the first time around. Regardless, Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren dominated lesser opposition in conference play all year, and I expect nothing different with the program’s 20^th WCC Tournament title within reach.

Underdog to Bet: St. Mary’s Gaels +275

I had to do a double take when I saw this offering – shame on BetRivers! Truth be told, I’ve seen Randy Bennett’s kids being offered up at 5-1 and 6-1 at other places, so shop around. While it likely won’t mean much of anything when it’s all said and done since you’ll still lose your initial investment at whatever price if the Gaels don’t win, St. Mary’s is far and away the second best team in this conference. It plays a ruthless brand of defensive basketball evidenced by conceding fewer than 60 points per game (No. 10) and clocking in with the No. 4 defensive efficiency rating per the current Pomeroy Ratings. Tommy Kuhse is a pest that averages 11.4 points that almost always finds himself in the thick of every big play; at both ends of the court. Mathias Tass is a steady performing big that gets his close to the rack and averages over six caroms per game. The team takes care of the basketball (No. 85) and doesn’t commit many fouls (No. 34). All that being said, the Gaels are going to need to win its semifinal match and then play a perfect game in the finals should it match wits with Gonzaga for the third time. I don’t see it happening.

Longshot to Bet: BYU Cougars +5000

For all intents and purposes, you’re likely better off taking a Bic to the funds you feel like throwing down on any big dog dart throw in the WCC Tourney. It would be less humiliating than watching the Zags dissect the Cougars a third time after toppling them by 110-84 and 90-57 final tallies in the regular season. Even so, I can’t pass on the line value with a guy like Alex Barcello being the main focal point of BYU’s offensive attack. He’s the prototype player that could singlehandedly lead a team to victory in this type of format. Adrenaline’s a funny thing that’s propelled lesser teams than this year’s Cougars outfit to conference tourney glory. Think Gerry McNamara and the Syracuse Orange from back in 2006. Though the wins came against a bunch of nobodies, BYU closed the season out on a high in winning four of its final five games. At the very least, it should have the team confident. With wins under the belt against San Francisco, St. Mary’s and a tough 1-point loss incurred at Santa Clara, the Cougars can take anyone in this conference down. Except for Gonzaga; but that goes for the other eight teams as well.