College basketball picks: Saint Mary's-Loyola Marymount prediction, odds, spread for February 9

The No. 15 Saint Mary's Gaels will return to action tonight when heading south for a WCC showdown against the Loyola Marymount Lions at 10 p.m. ET. The game will take place at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles and will air locally on NBC Sports Bay Area.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Saint Mary's vs. Loyola Marymount odds

Spread: Saint Mary's -7
Over/Under: 128
Moneyline: Saint Mary's -330, Loyola Marymount +275

Saint Mary's (21-4, 10-0 WCC) picked up its biggest win of the year last Saturday, knocking off Gonzaga in a 78-70 overtime victory. The Gaels erased an eight-point deficit to make the top 25 showdown tight down the stretch and a Mitchell Saxen layup with eight seconds left tied the game and sent it to OT. In the extra period, a 10-2 run is what allowed for SMC to hold off the Bulldogs and cement itself at the top of the WCC standings. Saxen stepped up with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

Loyola Marymount (16-9, 6-5 WCC) has dropped two straight heading into this home showdown and were last bested by San Diego in an 87-79 loss last Saturday. Things fell apart for the Lions in the final 10 minutes of action as an eight-point lead swiftly turned into an eight-point loss with the team scoring just 12 points down the stretch. Cam Shelton led with 25 points and seven rebounds in the setback.

The Pick: Saint Mary's -7

Saint Mary's won the first meeting between these two teams 76-62 back on January 12 and I expect a somewhat similar outcome tonight. The Gaels carry with them the fourth-ranked defense in adjusted efficiency per KenPom and has been excellent in stifling teams on the boards. That could spell trouble for a Lions team that struggled down the stretch offensively last Saturday. Take SMC to cover tonight.

  
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