The Saint Mary's Gaels take on the Arizona State Sun Devils in Thousand Palms, CA, in the Acrisure Classic title game. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on truTV.
Saint Mary's is favored by 5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -250. The total is set at 140.5 points.
Here are my Saint Mary's vs. Arizona State predictions and college basketball picks for November 29, 2024.
Saint Mary's vs Arizona State Prediction
My Pick: Arizona State +5.5
My Saint Mary's vs Arizona State best bet is on the Sun Devils spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all your college basketball bets, find the best lines using our live NCAAB odds page.
Saint Mary's vs Arizona State Odds
| Saint Mary's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 140.5 -108o / -112u | -250 |
| Arizona St Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 140.5 -108o / -112u | +205 |
- Saint Mary's vs Arizona State spread: Saint Mary's -5.5
- Saint Mary's vs Arizona State over/under: 140.5 points
- Saint Mary's vs Arizona State moneyline: Saint Mary's -250, Arizona State +205
- Saint Mary's vs Arizona State best bet: Arizona State +5.5
Spread
I'm backing the Sun Devils on the spread down to 4.5.
Moneyline
I'm avoiding the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm passing on the total.
My Pick: Arizona State +5.5
Saint Mary's vs Arizona State College Basketball Betting Preview
Saint Mary's is 6-0 and is coming off a 71-36 beatdown of USC. The Gaels have an elite coach in Randy Bennett and the reigning WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis is back to lead the show.
Most importantly, the Gaels have elite size up front, especially for a WCC team. Mitchell Saxen, Harry Wessels and Arizona transfer Paulius Murauskas stand at 6-foot-10, 7-foot-1 and 6-foot-8, respectively, while providing experience and toughness.
There were concerns in Moraga about who would replace Aidan Mahaney, but freshman Mikey "Buckets" Lewis is answering the bell by averaging 12.3 points per game.
Overall, I love the Gaels' roster, and they are the clear second-best team in the WCC behind Gonzaga.
But I've also been incredibly impressed by Bobby Hurley's bunch.
For years, Hurley has failed to live up to expectations in Tempe. The Sun Devils have a high level of talent on their roster almost every season, but they haven't advanced past the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament in three appearances during the Hurley era.
This team looks different in the early going, though. The Sun Devils have challenged themselves, and it's paid off, with victories over Grand Canyon (an elite mid-major), Santa Clara and New Mexico. They also played Gonzaga tough, losing by just eight while dropping 80 points in the process.
Arizona State's leading scorer is freshman Joson Sanon, but the team has experience littered throughout its rotation, including four of its top five scorers being seniors.
Jayden Quaintance will play a large role in this game versus Saint Mary's enormous frontcourt, and the freshman looks up for the challenge as a defensive force. Quaintance is third in the country in blocks (3.4 per game) in less than 30 minutes per game.
While I don't know if the Sun Devils will win this game straight up, I do think they keep it within the 5.5-point spread based on their experience, potential to contain Saint Mary's in the paint and impressive recent performances.
We also know Saint Mary's loves to slow the game down and rely on its defense, and that tends to favor the underdog, especially if it's a 'dog as good as Arizona State.
