Saint Mary's and BYU each survived tough challenges in their West Coast Conference tournament quarterfinal matchups. On Monday night they will meet in Las Vegas for a berth in the WCC title game. The second-seeded Gaels are listed as 5.5-point sportsbook favorites, with the over-under for total points scored set at 135.5.
Before you pick a side in this game, you need to hear to what SportsLine expert Kenny White has to say. White made his name as a pioneering oddsmaker in the Nevada sports wagering industry, and now he's using that innate knowledge to become similarly proficient on the other side of the counter.
White has emerged as SportsLine's top college basketball handicapper, with a sterling overall record of 35-20 (63.6 percent). He heads into this week's action on a 7-2 run, and also has a 3-1 ATS mark this season in games involving Saint Mary's.
Saint Mary's swept the WCC regular-season series with double-digit victories in both, but they were more competitive than the scores suggest.
In late December, the Cougars led much of the second half and appeared on the brink of a signature upset. But the Gaels forced overtime and managed a 74-64 win after BYU went cold in the extra frame. Jock Landale had 31 points and 13 rebounds for Saint Mary's.
Their late January rematch was also tightly contested, with the Gaels going on a decisive run to seal a 75-62 victory. Landale again was the difference as the 6-foot-11 center went for 32 points and 14 rebounds. He scored 11 straight points in one stretch.
Both clubs overcame adversity in their WCC quarterfinal contests. The Cougars held off a resilient San Diego team for an 85-79 win. Saint Mary's came out flat and looked uninspired most of the way, but still managed a 69-66 win over Pepperdine.
The favorite is on a whopping 10-1 ATS run in this series, and the Under has hit in the past four.
Will Saint Mary's move on for another appearance in the WCC title game, or will the upset-minded Cougars spoil the storyline?… Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of BYU-St. Mary's you should lock in on and see which big factor gives one side a huge edge, all from the Vegas oddsmaker crushing college basketball picks.