Saint Mary’s heads to Spokane for a late-night showdown against Gonzaga in a game that could shape the West Coast Conference title race. The Gaels enter Saturday's play at 19-3 with an 8-1 league record and a 5-1 record away from Moraga, while the Bulldogs are 21-1 and 9-0 in league play, unbeaten at home and on a 14-game winning streak. Before the top-two teams in the WCC go at it tonight, continue reading to get my Saint Mary's vs Gonzaga prediction on the court.
Our Saint Mary’s vs Gonzaga Pick
Pick: Saint Mary's +9.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Saint Mary’s Gaels @ Gonzaga Bulldogs
Date & Time: Saturday, January 31, 2026, 10:30 p.m. ET
Venue: McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, Washington
Broadcast: ESPN
Key Storylines
Form update: Saint Mary’s has won 10 of its past 11 games, including recent victories over Oregon State and at Portland. Gonzaga has ripped off 14 straight and survived San Francisco 68-66 last weekend.
Star power: Paulius Murauskas leads Saint Mary’s at 19.3 points and 7.4 boards per game. Gonzaga’s focal point is Graham Ike at 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds, with Jalen Warley and Tyon Grant-Foster providing recent scoring bursts for the Zags.
Availability: Gonzaga held off USF without Graham Ike the prior weekend, but he returned to practice midweek and is tracking to play in this game. Braden Huff has been listed as day-to-day. Saint Mary’s has no newly reported absences to worry about.
Styles: Saint Mary’s prefers slow tempo, strict shot selection, and defensive glass control with its size. Gonzaga applies on-ball pressure, runs opportunistically, and overwhelms most WCC opponents with its depth inside the Kennel.
This is the biggest game of the season in the WCC so far for both of these teams. The winner will have the inside track to the top seed in the upcoming WCC tournament in March. And while both of these teams will likely get the multiple byes in that unique tournament structure, this is a chance for both of these groups to make a statement.
Betting Trends
Gonzaga is 12-10 against the spread so far this season.
Saint Mary's is 11-10 against the spread entering Saturday night.
The under is 14-8 in Gonzaga's games so far this year.
The over is 11-10 in the Gaels' games to this point in the year.
Saint Mary’s vs Gonzaga Model Projection
Score Projection: Saint Mary’s 62 – Gonzaga 68
Win Probability: Saint Mary’s 39%, Gonzaga 61%
Final Thoughts
Saint Mary's is going to try to turn this game into a heavyweight boxing match, slowing things down and keeping things as low-scoring as possible. I don't know if that will be enough for them to win this game. But I do think the Gaels will do enough to cover the spread in this contest. I'll take the points with Saint Mary's in a game that is always fun to watch in the WCC.
Affiliate DisclosureATS.io uses affiliate links. If you sign up through a link on this page, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Rankings are based on hands-on testing and published criteria, and affiliate relationships do not determine placement.
