2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

We saw some drama in the lead up to this WCC Championship game -- most notably a surprise deep run to the semifinals by 9 seed Pepperdine -- but in the end, we have the two top seeds going toe to toe for the title.

Gonzaga has historically dominated this tournament, and since the event moved to Las Vegas in 2009, they have won 12 of the last 16 titles. While those championships have often come at the expense of Saint Mary's, the Gaels have been the lone team to break through, as they're the ones to win the four other tournament titles over this span and are the defending champions.

Who will prevail this time? Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds to find the best bets and player props for the WCC Championship.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's Betting Picks

Saint Mary's +3.5 (-108)

Saint Mary's won both regular-season meetings between these two, lost just once in conference play (17-1), and is ranked 19th in the AP Top 25 -- yet it's Gonzaga that's favored tonight. This is backed by both Bart Torvik and KenPom rating the Bulldogs as the country's 9th-best squad, whereas the Gaels are just outside the top 20. Throw in Gonzaga's unmatched history in this title game, and it wouldn't be all that surprising to see the Bulldogs lift the tournament trophy when it's all said and done.

Maybe that ends up being the case -- it's tough to beat your rivals three straight times in a season -- but the Gaels are the defending champs and have proven they can hang with Gonzaga, so we should like there chances of at least covering this spread.

Saint Mary's biggest strength is their defense, which ranks 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency (per Bart Torvik), whereas Gonzaga's strength is their 11th-ranked adjusted offense.

In those two regular-season matchups, the Gaels came out on top in this battle of strengths, though. The Bulldogs average the nation's second-most points per game (87.5), but they were held to just 58 and 67 points versus Saint Mary's. The Gaels rank 17th in effective field goal percentage defense and allow the 7th-lowest three-point rate.

Another area where Saint Mary's should have an edge is rebounding, as they're second in offensive rebound rate and ninth in defensive rebound rate, and they outrebounded Gonzaga in both games. In particular, the Bulldogs could struggle to get boards on offense (87th in offensive rebound rate).

According to Bart Torvik, Gonzaga should be a 1.5-point favorite, which further points to backing Saint Mary's to cover tonight.

Mitchell Saxen Over 8.5 Rebounds (-108)

Mitchell Saxen is one of Saint Mary's most consistent rebounders, and as noted above, this a good rebounding matchup for the Gaels.

Saxen averages 8.0 rebounds per game, and what makes him such a consistent threat on the glass is that he averages the team's most offensive rebounds per game (4.2) while also contributing on the defensive boards (3.8). In the two matchups versus the Bulldogs, he cleared this line both times, logging 9 and 11 rebounds.

The senior averages just over 29 minutes per game, and when he logs 29-plus minutes, he's reached 9 or more rebounds in 11 of 19 games. Barring some serious foul trouble, he should well exceed his average minutes in this championship matchup.

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Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.