A Deeper Look: West Coast Conference Hoops
by Strike Point Sports - 12/28/2006
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Hot Team - San Diego
The Toreros continue to roll in December. They have extended their current winning streak to seven games and have covered five of the last six spreads during this run. At 9-4 this year they have to be considered one of the teams that would contend with Gonzaga. They have one more game this month before they open WCC play the first week of January.
Struggling Team - Loyola Marymount
The Lions continue to disappoint this year. They are 8-6 but they have not put back-to-back wins together since late November. They have lost four of six games this month and have only covered two spreads all season. With two of the better scorers in the conference in Brandon Worthy and Matthew Knight, this should not be happening.
Oddsmaker Mistake (recently) - Eastern Washington at Santa Clara (-6)
Apparently the Broncos aren't getting that much respect, however they have opened the year strong at 9-4. They hosted Eastern Washington and were giving just six, a line that seemed somewhat small. Nonetheless, the line didn't move much and Santa Clara took advantage. A 23-point win later and this is the definition of an oddsmaker error. They have won three of their last four games.
Hot Player - Danny Pariseau | G, Santa Clara
While his Broncos have been getting it done as a team, this ex-Eastern Washington guard has been impressive in his first year in the WCC. Running the show for the Broncos, he has scored at least 10 points the last three games, averaging nearly 11 points this season along with three rebounds and four assists.
Difference Maker - Marvin Lea | G, Pepperdine
The Waves have won only three times this year but it has not been because of Marvin Lea. Pepperdine's top player has been the one bright sport for this struggling team. He is scoring nearly 18 points a night while bringing down five rebounds and dishing out three assists. His strong efforts can be seen as the main reason why Pepperdine is at least covering for the few backers they have. Despite their 3-10 record they are 9-3 ATS.
Big Upcoming Game
Nevada at Gonzaga Saturday 12/30 3 p.m.
Gonzaga continues their brutal non-conference schedule with the WAC's top team, Nevada. The Bulldogs have dropped their last two against Duke and Georgia, but have still beaten the likes of North Carolina and Texas. After playing Nevada they have to travel across the country to play Virginia the following Wednesday.
The match-up of the game comes in the frontcourt when Josh Heytvelt goes right at Nick Fazekas. Both have been the primary offenses for their respective teams, but these two teams are much more talented than a one-man show. Gonzaga's Derek Raivio leads the 'Zags in scoring while Nevada gets a strong boost from backcourt mates Roman Sessions and Kyle Shiloh.
Line Prediction: Gonzaga -4