College Basketball Picks

Pepperdine vs Santa Clara 2/24/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

Santa Clara Broncos (18-10) vs. Pepperdine Waves (7-22)
February 24, 2022 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Pepperdine Waves +10.5 / Santa Clara Broncos -10.5; Over/Under: 154
(Get latest betting odds)

The Santa Clara Broncos will travel to Firestone Fieldhouse to take on the Pepperdine Waves this Thursday night in College Basketball action.

The Santa Clara Broncos dropped to 18-10 on the season after being defeated by the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, 81-69, this past Saturday. Santa Clara Santa Clara trailed by a 41-631 margin at halftime and could not fight back after Gonzaga took a 75-60 lead with 4:07 left in regulation. Santa Clara shot 41.4% from the field & 54.5% from beyond the arc while allowing Gonzaga to shoot 40.3% from the field & 34.3% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Broncos was PJ Pipes who had 27 points, 1 assist, & 1 steal.

On the season, Santa Clara is averaging 76.6 ppg on 48.5% shooting from the field. The Broncos are averaging 7.1 three-pointers per game on 37.8% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Santa Clara has been led by Jalen Williams (17.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.2 spg), Josip Vrankic (14.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.4 spg), Keshawn Justice (13.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.5 apg), & PJ Pipes (11.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.9 apg).

Defensively, Santa Clara is allowing their opponents to an average of 71.6 ppg on 42.8% shooting from the field. The Broncos have a rebound margin of 0.2 and a turnover margin of 0.5.

The Pepperdine Waves lost their 4th straight game and dropped to 7-22 on the season after being defeated by the Portland Pilots, 77-74, this past Saturday. Pepperdine trailed by a 37-33 margin at halftime and could not fight back after a three-point play by the Pilots Tyler Robertson gave Portland a 75-74 lead with :27 seconds left in regulation. Pepperdine shot 48.2% from the field & 55.0% from beyond the arc while allowing Portland to shoot 45.3% from the field & 23.3% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Waves was Jan Zidek who had 22 points, 2 rebounds, & 4 assists.

On the season, Pepperdine is averaging 68.4 ppg on 41.7% shooting from the field. The Waves are averaging 7.4 three-pointers per game on 34.3% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Pepperdine has been led by Jan Zidek (13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.3 apg), Houston Mallette (13.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.9 apg), Mike Mitchell Jr. (8.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.1 spg), & Jade’ Smith (8.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.7 apg).

Defensively, Pepperdine is allowing their opponents to an average of 77.3 ppg on 46.1% shooting from the field. The Waves have a rebound margin of -3.1 and a turnover margin of -1.6.

The Broncos are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win, however, are just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss. The Waves are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up loss & 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

Santa Clara has been led by their offense, which ranks 53rd in scoring offense & 14th in FG%, however, the Broncos have struggled a bit on the road this season, as the Broncos come into this game with just a 4-5 road record. Pepperdine has had a season to forget and have struggled on both ends of the court, coming into this matchup ranked just 251st in scoring offense & 329th in scoring defense. Pepperdine is not going to pull off a win here, however, the Waves have played much better at home this season, and as I expect a letdown from Santa Clara after their recent loss to Gonzaga, I’m taking Pepperdine to cover with the points. Good Luck!

Brett Nault's Free Pick: Pepperdine Waves +10.5

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Brett Nault

Brett has been involved with sports his entire life, whether playing them or betting on them, and loves using his education in data analytics to break down all matchups to get you a competitive edge. Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05

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