Utah vs Saint Mary’s Prediction & Picks: Can the Gaels Grab an Important Win at Home?

Entering this season, Saint Mary's was expected to be one of the better college basketball teams in the country. That may still end up being the case, but with three early losses to their name, the Gaels now enter a very pivotal point of their season, starting with tonight's visit from Utah (11:00 pm ET, ESPNU).

After a stunning home loss to Weber State, the Gaels (3-3) lost to San Diego State and Xavier at the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas.

Saint Mary's is coming off of a 34-point win over Davidson on Friday, but their trio of early losses has bumped them out of early March Madness bracket projections, and they need to limit how many more blemishes come before they start West Coast Conference play against San Diego on January 4.

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Over the next two weeks, the Gaels will face Utah, Boise State, and Colorado State, and they need to go at least 2-1 in those three games, at minimum.

A win tonight over the Utes (3-2) is a must, but it won't come easy. Craig Smith's squad is coming off of losses to Houston and St. John's, but they are a talented group with the potential to make some noise in the Pac-12 this season.

Utah vs Saint Mary's Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• Utah +4.5 (-105)
• Saint Mary's -4.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 135 (-110)
• Under 135 (-110)

Moneyline

• Utah +170
• Saint Mary's -200

Utah vs Saint Mary's Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Utah to win

Picks: Utah +4.5 (-110 at Bovada), Gabe Madsen over 3.5 rebounds (+110 at Bovada) & Branden Carlson over 16.5 (-113 at Bovada)

Even though the Gaels lost to Weber State a couple of weeks ago, they are still very formidable at home and showed that in Friday's win over Davidson.

Saint Mary's shot the lights out against the Wildcats, nailing 15 of 31 (48.4%) from three and making 52.3% of their shots from the field overall. They also put in a strong performance defensively, holding Davidson to 23.5% from three and 36.2% from the field overall.

That said, I actually like Utah in this one. The Utes have the horses to hang with and beat Saint Mary's, led by center Branden Carlson (19.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG) and guards Gabe Madsen (14.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG) and Rollie Worster (10.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.6 APG, 2.6 SPG).

In addition to backing Utah to cover the spread, I'm on some props for Carlson and Madsen.

Carlson, who will have an intriguing matchup with Gaels center Mitchell Saxen (10.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.5 BPG), has scored 31, 17, and 22 in his last three games. Madsen, meanwhile, has recorded five or more rebounds in every game thus far.

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice.

Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on countless games, many online sportsbooks offer men's college basketball national championship odds, women's college basketball national championship odds, men's Wooden Award odds, women's Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don't have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Basketball Content

• College Basketball Betting Guide
• Men's Wooden Award Winner Odds
• Women's Wooden Award Winner Odds