It’s impossible to overlook the Pacific men’s basketball team, the worst squad in the country against the point spread. Eighteen of the Tigers’ games have been lined, and they’ve covered only three of them.
For some reason, I got distracted trying to find the updated status of Villiam Garcia Adsten, a 6-foot-8 freshman from Sweden who has not played in UOP’s past five games.
After about 10 minutes, Bill Murray’s speech from the 1979 goofball movie “Meatballs” hit me … “It just doesn’t matter! It just doesn’t matter!”
Indeed, the Swede’s status does not matter.
Pacific (6-14 SU, 3-15 ATS) plays at Saint Mary's (14-6, 8-9) at 11 p.m. ET Thursday, with the game airing on CBS Sports Network.
Pacific vs. Saint Mary's odds: Point spread, moneyline, total
Here are the latest college basketball betting odds for Pacific vs. Saint Mary's:
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Pacific betting news: Tigers struggling in all aspects
Statistical guru Ken Pomeroy lists Garcia Adsten as this team’s sole “major contributor” on the Pacific roster at his stellar KenPom.com site.
Which is quite odd, since, in his short stretch wearing a Tigers uniform in an official game, the kid hasn’t done much. He has a season-best 7 points in one game, and he scored a total of 14 in the first four of the season.
Since then, however, he scored only 11 total points. And, as we’ve stated, he’s missed the past five games. Plus, we could find nothing on why he’s been planted on the bench.
At least that question lifts some pressure from those who are playing. The only two averaging double digits, at 10 points apiece, are guards Judson Martindale, who began his career at Holy Cross, and Nick Blake, a 6-6 sophomore from Las Vegas.
The absolute worst aspect of this team, though, is at the free-throw line, where it sinks a lazy 63% of its attempts. Only nine teams in the nation are shoddier at the freebie stripe.
As Murray howled 45 years ago on the silver screen, it just doesn’t matter who suits up for Pacific on Thursday night.
Saint Mary's betting news: Gaels hitting their stride
They’ve won 11 of their previous 12 games, covering seven of their past 11. Seven of their past 10 have gone OVER their game totals.
The one that most interests us, however, occurred Jan. 11 inside this barn, when Saint Mary’s gave 19 points to Portland. The Gaels did not hold back, blasting the Pilots, 95-52.
Pomeroy had Portland rated 287th on his big chart, but Pacific enters this one at No. 347 (out of 362 D-I programs). KenPom has Saint Mary’s 30th, and another computer rates it No. 24. UOP last won in Moraga on Dec. 9, 1989.
Pacific will be even more outclassed on this court than Portland.
UOP’s offensive efficiency is 336th in the country, while the Saint Mary’s defense checks in at No. 10. The Gaels’ offense is above average, at No. 78, but UOP’s defense is 339th.
Saint Mary’s is especially sound defending inside the 3-point arc, where opponents have made only 43.5% of their shots; only 12 teams have been stingier this season.
The Gaels connect on 51.8% of their 2-point shots, which is above average, while that porous UOP defense is a sieve, allowing foes to hit 57.5% of their attempts inside the arc; only eight teams in the country play worse 2-point defense.
Aidan Mahaney, a 6-3 sophomore guard, appears in form to damage this toothless Tigers defense, since he has made 16 of 27 shots beyond the 3-point arc over his past three games.
He’s averaged 22 points in those tilts, and he poured in 25 against San Diego five games ago. He scored in the 20s in two other games this season, which he accomplished seven times last season as a freshman.
Center Mitchell Saxen (11.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg), guard Augustas Marčiulionis (11 ppg, 4.6 apg) and forward Joshua Jefferson (9.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg) are the other Saint Mary’s cogs. Of course, Augustas is the 21-year-old son of Hall of Fame guard Šarūnas Marčiulionis.
The Gaels are so well-oiled right now, their 1.291 offensive efficiency over their past three games that is bettered only by Oakland (1.502) and Drexel (1.341) in the country over that span.
Also, Saint Mary’s (at 2.375) is fourth in assists-to-turnovers ratio in that stretch, and it’s been nailing 3-pointers at a top-20 44.7% clip.
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Pacific vs. Saint Mary's prediction
This could get very, very ugly for Pacific.
For the 73-mile bus trek back to Stockton, dear Tigers, may I suggest “Meatballs,” a slapstick flick that might be good for some comic relief?
Pick: Gaels -27 (best current line: Saint Mary's )
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