Betting On St Marys Murray State - The Best BracketBuster Game Packs A Wallop

The annual BracketBuster event, a festival of mid-major college basketball action, finds its centerpiece in the clash between Saint Mary’s and Murray State this weekend.

Saint Mary’s (CA) Gaels @ Murray State Racers - Saturday, February 18
Sports betting line: No line

Why Saint Mary’s Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, consider one of the more vintage performances turned in by the Gaels this season. Coach Randy Bennett’s team has lost only three times since this college basketball campaign began, so it’s clear that this team has performed at a high level on a consistent basis. However, one should look at a particular contest to illustrate why the Gaels are in a good position to knock off Murray State.

Saint Mary’s waxed BYU a few weeks ago and produced an easy 14-point win, taking the lead by as many as 23 in the second half before coasting to the finish line in front of a muted crowd in Provo, where BYU has rarely lost over the past several seasons.

What was scary about the win was how the Gaels achieved it - not just the margin of victory, but the people who made it happen. SMC's main meal-ticket scorer, Matthew Dellavedova, scored only 10 points, most of them in garbage time. He was a non-factor in the game, something which would have seemed to favor BYU. Instead, Saint Mary's found 16 points from reserve Clint Steindl, who threw a monkey wrench into the Cougars' defensive scheme. Steindl helped the Gaels hit 7 of 18 threes and spread BYU's defense on a consistent basis. Saint Mary's generated such good floor spacing that it was able to hit just over 55 percent of its shots (24 of 43) against BYU, and that kind of display is going to win virtually every time. BYU did not have a better answer on offense, and that was that. What you can see is that Saint Mary’s is balanced. The Gaels can win with their backcourt, but in this game against a perimeter-oriented Murray State team, their low-post players and “glue guys” such as Rob Jones can punish the Racers on the glass. Saint Mary’s is equipped to play multiple styles, while Murray State needs to push the pace in order to be successful.

Why Murray State Will Win

The college basketball betting experts who follow mid-major basketball know that at home, a team is more able to establish the kind of pace it wants. Murray State gets this game at home, which will be a huge source of comfort for star guard Joseph Canaan (pronounced “cannon”), who needs to play his best game of the season. Canaan needs to set the tone in the early stages and keep the crowd involved. Saint Mary’s cannot settle into this game and gain the belief that it can wear down Murray State in a punishing halfcourt affair. The Racers need to be true to their nickname, and at home, they just might be able to do the deed by allowing their backcourt to get in transition and shoot open threes before Saint Mary’s can set its defense.

Who Will Win

In a big-ticket, big-time basketball game, the team that can play at different speeds should generally be favored over the team that is suited to play at only one speed, especially if the talent is equal. The talent in this game is relatively even, so Saint Mary’s should prevail because of its superiority on the glass.