College Basketball Picks: BYU Cougars vs. Saint Mary's Gaels

The Saint Mary's Gaels have covered the spread in their last five meetings with the BYU Cougars, which is important to consider when making your college basketball picks Thursday night, as the two programs meet at McKeon Pavilion on ESPN2.

Sports bettors will find that the Gaels are eight-point home favorites in the NCAA basketball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at 150 in the market.

Let's take a closer look at this West Coast Conference affair from a betting perspective, while offering up an against-the-spread pick along the way.

The BYU Cougars have won back-to-back games, including a 70-68 victory over the Utah State Aggies as 12-point home favorites Tuesday night.

Sports bettors will find that the Cougars are 4-12 against the spread as an underdog the last two-plus seasons.

The Saint Mary's Gaels have won nine of their last 10 games, including a 61-50 victory over the Loyola Marymount Lions as 13.5-point road favorites five days ago.

Sports bettors will find that the Gaels are 20-25-2 against the spread in their last 47 conference games.

I'm going to recommend that readers back the Saint Mary's Gaels as one of their college basketball picks Thursday night, as the BYU Cougars are 3-11 against the spread in their last 14 road games.

College Basketball Pick: Saint Mary's Gaels -8

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