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LMU vs. Santa Clara Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, Feb. 22 (Broncos Pull Away)

College basketball betting preview, prediction and best bet for LMU-Santa Clara.

By Shelby Dermer

Feb 2, 2023; Spokane, Washington, USA; Santa Clara Broncos head coach Herb Sendek looks on against Gonzaga.
Feb 2, 2023; Spokane, Washington, USA; Santa Clara Broncos head coach Herb Sendek looks on against Gonzaga. / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
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Santa Clara stopped the bleeding of a three-game losing streak with back-to-back wins over Pacific (79-53) and San Diego (82-69). The Broncos return home Thursday night as a double-digit favorite against Loyola Marymount looking to win with margin. 

Loyola Marymount went winless in February and have lost six straight overall since beating Portland Jan. 25. The Lions were hammered by two of the best teams in the West Coast Conference last week, falling to Gonzaga (91-74) and San Francisco (82-59). LMU has won just once on the road this season and will face Santa Clara in a rematch from Jan. 4 that the Broncos won, 68-57. 

Here’s the betting preview of the West Coast Conference clash with a best bet. 

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LMU vs. Santa Clara odds, spread and total

LMU vs. Santa Clara betting trends

  • LMU is 10-16 ATS this season
  • Santa Clara is 15-10-1 ATS this season
  • LMU is 4-6 ATS as an underdog this season
  • Santa Clara is 8-7 ATS as a favorite this season
  • The OVER is 14-12 in LMU games this season
  • The OVER is 11-14-1 in Santa Clara games this season 

LMU vs. Santa Clara how to watch

  • Date: Thursday, Feb. 22 
  • Game time: 11 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Leavey Events Center
  • How to watch (TV): CBS Sports Network
  • LMU record: 10-16 (3-9 WCC)
  • Santa Clara record: 17-10 (8-4 WCC)

LMU vs. Santa Clara key players to watch

LMU

Will Johnston: The 6-foot-3 junior guard is averaging 11 points per game this season but has shot the ball better in recent play. Johnston scored a season-high 33 points on 12-of-21 shooting, knocking down seven 3-pointers, in a 91-74 loss to Gonzaga Feb. 15. He followed that performance with a 14-point night in the loss to San Francisco on Saturday. 

Santa Clara 

Carlos Marshall Jr.: With leading scorer Adama Bal missing the last two weeks (undisclosed), Marshall has to lead the offense. The Broncos’ second-leading scorer at 12.8 points per game, Marshall bounced back with 14 points in Saturday’s win over San Diego after combining for just 16 points on 7-of-23 shooting over the previous three contests. 

LMU vs. Santa Clara prediction and pick 

Injuries have derailed LMU’s season and the Lions have had just six scholarship players available over its last two games. Those six players are putting in nearly all of the work with Justin Wright coming off the bench and Kevin Carney getting just five combined minutes. 

LMU has respectable offensive metrics (No. 144 in efficiency) as the No. 57 three-point shooting team in the nation, however Santa Clara’s defense is one of the best in the West Coast Conference, ranking No. 48 in KenPom in effective field goal percentage and top-75 defending shots from inside and beyond the arc. 

The Broncos’ offense is ranked No. 104 in efficiency and faces an LMU defense that is No. 258 overall and doesn’t force turnovers (No. 359). This isn’t exactly a dream spot for Santa Clara, a team that has performed better on the road (7-2 ATS) than at home (5-6-1 ATS). However, the Broncos have hammered bad teams this season and have covered five of their last six games as a double-digit favorite. LMU is running on fumes right now and have gone 2-4 ATS on the road this season. Take the Broncos to pull away. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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