Marquee Game
ESPN

#12 Gonzaga vs San Francisco

Monday, 9:00 PM ET | Orleans Arena, Las Vegas | ESPN
Spread
GONZ -8.5
Moneyline
GONZ -376
Total
O/U 149.5

This isn't just a WCC semifinal. This is the end of an era. Gonzaga (28-2, 16-1 WCC) takes the floor at the Orleans Arena on Monday night for the final WCC tournament of its storied tenure in the conference before officially joining the Pac-12 on July 1, 2026. The Bulldogs earned the No. 1 seed and a quadruple-bye into the semifinals after sharing the WCC regular season title with Saint Mary's. Mark Few's squad went 15-0 at home this season and has been one of the most dominant programs in college basketball, posting a 28-2 record that has them firmly on the two-line in most NCAA Tournament projections. Gonzaga will want to cap this final WCC chapter with a championship, and anything less would feel like unfinished business.

San Francisco (17-15, 8-10 WCC) earned the No. 5 seed and had to navigate the earlier rounds just to get here, which means the Dons are already playing on tired legs heading into Monday night. The talent gap between these two programs is substantial, and the regular season results tell the story clearly. Gonzaga won both meetings against USF by double digits, controlling the paint and the pace in each contest. The Dons did receive some individual recognition this season, with their WCC Newcomer of the Year, but the roster as a whole simply doesn't have the depth or the firepower to match Gonzaga across 40 minutes in a semifinal environment.

The 8.5-point spread reflects the clear quality difference, but it's worth noting that tournament basketball can produce tighter games than regular season matchups, particularly with the adrenaline of a semifinal setting and the stakes of a championship berth on the line. Gonzaga's offensive efficiency and depth should be the deciding factors. The Bulldogs have the luxury of going nine or ten deep with contributors who can all produce, and that kind of roster flexibility wears down a team like San Francisco that relies on a tighter rotation. The 149.5 total suggests a moderate pace, and Gonzaga's ability to dictate tempo will be key.

Don't overthink this one. Gonzaga has been on a mission all season, and the emotional weight of their final WCC tournament will only add fuel to the fire. Few's team will come out with purpose, and the Dons will need to play the game of their lives just to keep this competitive into the final ten minutes. The Bulldogs should handle business and advance to Tuesday's championship game, where a matchup with either Saint Mary's or Santa Clara awaits in what would be a fitting farewell to the conference they've called home for decades.

Game 2
ESPN

#21 Saint Mary's vs Santa Clara

Monday, 11:30 PM ET | Orleans Arena, Las Vegas | ESPN
Spread
SMC -5.5
Network
ESPN
Total
O/U 152.5

The nightcap at the Orleans Arena is the more intriguing of the two semifinals, and it has real Selection Sunday implications. #21 Saint Mary's (27-4, 16-2 WCC) is the No. 2 seed and co-regular season champion after Mikey Lewis dropped 31 points including seven three-pointers in a stunning 70-59 takedown of #9 Gonzaga on the final day of the regular season. That win gave the Gaels a program-record fourth consecutive WCC regular season title, and they enter the tournament with the kind of momentum that makes them a genuine threat to win the whole thing. Saint Mary's is safely in the NCAA Tournament field regardless of what happens here, but a conference tournament championship would solidify their seeding and send a message heading into March Madness.

Santa Clara (24-7, 15-3 WCC) is the No. 3 seed, and this game is everything for the Broncos. With 24 wins, their best season in over a decade, Santa Clara has the resume to make a case for an at-large bid, but the WCC's tournament reputation means the Broncos can't afford to leave anything to chance. The auto-bid that comes with winning this tournament is the safest path to the Big Dance, and Santa Clara will play with the urgency of a team that knows their season could end right here. The Broncos posted a program-record 15 WCC wins during the regular season, and they've proven they can compete with the conference's elite.

This is a rubber match in every sense. Saint Mary's won the first meeting 86-67 at home on January 20, a comprehensive dismantling that showcased the Gaels' scoring depth and defensive intensity. But Santa Clara got their revenge on February 8 with a 77-72 victory at the Leavey Center, proving that the Broncos are capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Gaels when they bring their best. The split series sets up a classic tiebreaker scenario on neutral ground, and the 5.5-point spread suggests the oddsmakers see Saint Mary's as the better team but acknowledge that Santa Clara is live in this spot.

The 152.5 total is the highest number on the WCC semifinal board, and that tracks with how these two teams play. Both sides can score in bunches, and the regular season meetings produced 153 and 149 combined points respectively, right around this number. Lewis is the engine that drives Saint Mary's offense, and his ability to get hot from deep makes the Gaels dangerous in any environment. But Santa Clara's balanced attack and their desperation for the auto-bid could make this a classic conference tournament semifinal. Expect a tight, high-energy affair that goes down to the final minutes, with the winner advancing to face Gonzaga in what would be a fitting WCC championship game.

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