West Coast Conference Tournament: Preview, Odds, & Best Bets
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Update: Thu Mar 07, 2024, 10:20 am ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
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The West Coast Conference Tournament begins today in Paradise, Nevada as the 9 seed Pacific takes on the 8 seed Pepperdine.
This tournament has caught some recent heat on social media for its unusual format. The WCC gives it's Top 2 seeds an automatic spot in the tournament semifinals, only having to win two games to be crown champion and secured their automatic qualifying bid.
Since this is a very lopsided league year after year, this benefits Saint Mary's and Gonzaga more than any other team, especially those who could use the help to push for the automatic bid.
Nevertheless, the bracket is set, so let's break it down!
West Coast Conference Tournament Bracket
You see what I'm saying? The two best teams in the league get the biggest cake walk to the finals I've ever seen, and they'd probably end up their anyways.
Regardless, let's take a look at the betting odds to win this conference championship!
West Coast Conference Tournament Betting Odds
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- Gonzaga -135
- Saint Mary's +115
- San Francisco +1400
- Santa Clara +3000
- Loyola Marymount +25000
- Pacific +25000
- Pepperdine +25000
- Portland +25000
- San Diego +25000
As you can see, the oddsmakers are clearly expecting the West Coast Conference Championship to be a trilogy of Gonzaga vs Saint Mary's. Personally, I have no reason to think any differently.
The two teams split their season series, both getting a win on the road.
Saint Mary's handled business against Santa Clara twice this season, so seeing them in the semifinals could be a little tricky. As always, it is tough to beat a team three times in a single season, but Saint Mary's has been more than solid down the stretch, with one slip up against the Zags.
At +3000, I think Santa Clara could be worth a Dark Horse sprinkle, just with the trilogy narrative at play. Saint Mary's should be in the Big Dance regardless of their performance in the WCC Tournament, so it wouldn't surprise me if the Broncos come motivated and catch the Gaels sleeping.
As far as Gonzaga's potential semifinal matchup, they could face a sharp shooting San Francisco team that they've also beaten twice. Gonzaga really handled business against the Dons on the road, so doing so again in Vegas could be easier than the Gaels path.
West Coast Conference Tournament Best Bets
Like I said, ultimately I think we see this come down to the Gaels or Zags claiming the WCC Title once again.
Personally I do not think either are worth a sprinkle right now, as I think you can snag similar value on either side in a championship matchup without having to sacrifice a potential semifinal loss.
Dark Horse Pick: Santa Clara +3000
The Broncos could be worth a sprinkle simple because they only have to win three games to win the Championship, and they could have a favorable matchup against a sleepy Gaels team in the semifinals. I do not see San Francisco beating Gonzaga, so I feel like the Dark Horse value can only be found with the Santa Clara Broncos.
Again, I do not see any actual value until we see Saint Mary's and Gonzaga matched up in the Championship game, in which I will probably back the Zags based on their recent play.
There's plenty of basketball this month, control your bankroll appropriately.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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