Portland Pilots vs Saint Mary's Gaels Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Friday, January 2, 2026
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The Portland Pilots (7-8, 0-2 WCC) visit the Saint Mary’s Gaels (13-2, 2-0 WCC) on Friday night after the Pilots lost 92-85 to Santa Clara and the Gaels beat Pepperdine 72-45. Build a winning ticket with our free college basketball picks.
Portland vs Saint Mary's Game Information
- Date: Friday, January 2
- Time: 10:00 PM ET
- Location: University Credit Union Pavilion (Moraga, CA)
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
Portland Pilots Preview
Portland is scoring 80.6 points per game on 49% shooting, but the results have trended the wrong way with four straight losses. The offense runs through Joel Foxwell, who leads the Pilots at 13.6 points and 7.5 assists per game, and Mikah Ballew adds 11.3 points while giving Portland another perimeter playmaker.
The bigger issue has been getting consistent stops. Portland is allowing 81.6 points per game, and defensive possessions have been extended by mistakes. Averaging 14.7 turnovers per game has put added pressure on a unit that already faces a tough WCC slate. Cameron Williams (5.4 rebounds per game) and James O’Donnell (5.1 rebounds per game) give the Pilots strong frontcourt production, but this game requires protecting the ball better to keep Saint Mary’s from controlling tempo.
Key Stats Per Game
- Points: 80.6
- Points Allowed: 81.6
- Field Goal %: 49%
- Rebounds: 35.9
- Assists: 18.9
- Steals: 6.7
- Blocks: 3.5
- Turnovers: 14.7
Saint Mary's Gaels Preview
Saint Mary’s has performed better on both ends, scoring 78.5 points per game while holding opponents to 63.6. Paulius Murauskas leads the attack at 18.3 points per game, and he’s paired with Mikey Lewis (14.1 points) and Joshua Dent (13.1 points, 4.7 assists) to give the Gaels multiple ways to score.
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Inside, Andrew McKeever is a difference-maker at 9.4 rebounds per game, and Saint Mary’s has the rebounding edge overall at 39.9 boards per game. The Gaels also protect possessions better than Portland, and that combination, defensive control plus extra rebounds, creates a difficult team to beat when playing at home. If Saint Mary’s keeps Portland out of transition and limits Foxwell’s playmaking, the Gaels dictate the flow from start to finish.
Key Stats Per Game
- Points: 78.5
- Points Allowed: 63.6
- Field Goal %: 47%
- Rebounds: 39.9
- Assists: 14.1
- Steals: 5.7
- Blocks: 3.3
- Turnovers: 11.5
Portland Pilots vs Saint Mary's Gaels Prediction
Saint Mary’s wins by turning this into a half-court game, owning the glass behind McKeever, and leaning on Murauskas and Dent to punish Portland’s turnover-prone stretches. Final Score Prediction: Saint Mary's Gaels win and cover ATS, 76-66. Betting on sports and on Portland is easy, but even easier if you use the best sportsbooks. Make sure you know about how the fans are looking on prediction markets for Saint Mary's with the social sportsbooks. Getting the most out of your bets on Portland vs Saint Mary's can be done by using the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
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