Bradley Braves vs Santa Clara Broncos Prediction, 12/14/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Bradley Braves vs Santa Clara Broncos

Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024

Location: Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, NV

TV: ESPN+

The Bradley Braves (8-1) are hitting the road to Lee's Family Forum on Saturday where they will attempt to defeat the Santa Clara Broncos (5-5).

The Bradley Braves played Southern Illinois and went home with a win by a final score of 83-60 in their last game. Bradley wrapped up the contest having earned a 50.8% field goal percentage (31 out of 61) and made 14 out of their 22 three-point shots. At the free throw line, the Braves buried 7 of 10 tries for a percentage of 70.0%. In terms of pulling down boards, they compiled 24 with 5 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 20 dimes in the matchup as well as forcing the opposition into 16 turnovers and having 14 steals. In terms of defending, Bradley allowed their opponent to shoot 40.4% from the floor on 23 out of 57 shooting. Southern Illinois distributed 10 dimes and had 8 steals for the contest. Moreover, Southern Illinois snagged 36 boards (12 offensive, 24 defensive), but didn't have a block. Southern Illinois ended up shooting 62.5% at the charity stripe by converting 10 of their 16 tries. They also knocked down 4 of 16 attempts from beyond the perimeter. In relation to fouls, the Braves ended up walking away with 12 and Southern Illinois recorded 12 fouls.

Zek Montgomery is a guy who played a role for this game. He recorded 22 points on 8 out of 13 shooting. He played for 28 mins and pulled down 1 board. He shot 61.5% from the floor and also distributed 1 assist.

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Bradley comes into this matchup with a record of 8-1 on the year. They are turning it over 12.2 times per contest and as a basketball team are committing 15.3 personal fouls per contest. As a unit, Bradley is pulling in 35.4 rebounds per game and has 161 assists for the season, which is 76th in college hoops in terms of passing. The Braves are connecting on 45.3% on shots from 3-point land (105 of 232) and 72.4% from the charity stripe. They currently have an average of 83.6 points per game (40th in D-1) while connecting on 51.1% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Braves are forcing their opponents into 13.7 turnovers per contest and they draw 17.3 fouls. They give up 26.9% on three-point shots while they are 64th in the nation in points per game allowed (66.1). The Braves defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 40.2% (210 of 522) and they relinquish 32.6 boards per game as a group. They are ranked 15th in college basketball in giving up assists to their opponents with 88 conceded this year.

The last time they took the court, the Santa Clara Broncos took home the win by a final score of 81-66 when they faced Fresno State. The Broncos pulled down 29 defensive boards and 12 offensive boards for a total of 41 in the game. They turned it over 16 times, while earning 13 steals in this matchup. Fresno State was called for 16 personal fouls in this game which got the Broncos to the free throw line for 22 attempts. They were able to make 16 of the free throw tries for a rate of 72.7%. With respect to shots from downtown, Santa Clara knocked down 13 out of 31 attempts (41.9%). In all, the Broncos shot 26 out of 62 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 41.9%. The Broncos permitted Fresno State to convert 23 out of 59 attempts from the field which gave them a rate of 39.0% for the game. They finished 40.0% from beyond the arc by connecting on 6 out of 15 and ended up going 14 of 21 at the free throw line (66.7%). In regard to cleaning up the glass, Santa Clara allowed Fresno State to pull down 28 overall (5 on the offensive glass).

Carlos Stewart pitched in for the Broncos in the game. He buried 5 of 8 in this game giving him a rate of 62.5%, but wrapped this game up without a rebound. He racked up 18 points in his 26 mins of playing time and had 4 assists in this game.

Santa Clara has a win-loss mark of 5-5 on the campaign. The Broncos commit 17.4 personal fouls per contest while shooting 75.4% from the free throw line. They are getting an assist 14.0 times per game (187th in college basketball) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.7 times per contest. Santa Clara has scored 756 points on the season (75.6 per game) and they average 39.4 boards per contest. As an offensive unit, the Broncos are hitting on 43.4% from the floor, which ranks them 254th in college hoops.

The Broncos on the defensive side of the court are 201st in D-1 in PPG allowed with 71.8. They are able to force 12.4 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 42.2% from the field (152nd in the nation). The Santa Clara defense concedes 33.2% on shots from behind the 3-point line (80 of 241) and their opponents are making 66.0% of their foul shots. They concede 13.5 dimes and 36.0 boards per contest, which ranks 221st and 252nd in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Santa Clara

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