NCAA Tournament Pick & Preview: East Region – Saint Mary’s vs. Vanderbilt – Friday, March 21, 2025

The 10th-seed Vanderbilt Commodores (20-12) have a tough opening round matchup against the seventh-seed Saint Mary’s Gaels (28-5) in the East Region on Friday, March 21 at 3:15 PM ET at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Current college basketball betting odds by MyBookie reveal the Gaels as slight favorites with a point spread at -4.5 (-105).

Vanderbilt Commodores Betting Preview

The Commodores have lost their last three games, which is not the type of momentum you want heading into the tournament. They fell short in the first round of the SEC Tournament to the Texas Longhorns 79-72.

Jason Edwards leads them in scoring with 17.0 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting, as well as 83.1 percent from the foul line. Devin McGlockton averages 7.9 rebounds and AJ Hoggard leads with 4.6 assists each battle.

Vanderbilt is 48th in the nation for averaging 79.6 points a game. On defense, they are 265th as they allow 74.8 points from opponents per game. This does not give them much room for error, which is one reason why they lost their last few games by close margins.

The Commodores are estimated to be 42nd overall when it comes to their strength of schedule and winning point margins. Their efficiency on the offensive end per 100 possessions ranks 61st, while their defense at the same rate ranks 220th.

Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Preview

The Gaels had their eight-game win streak snapped in their most recent battle. This was a 58-51 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the West Coast Conference Championship Final.

Augustas Marciulionis is pivotal to their offense, as he leads with 14.3 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and makes 79.6 percent of his free throws. Paulius Murauskas is key to them getting more opportunities with the ball as he grabs 8.0 rebounds a game.

Saint Mary’s has been accumulating 73.5 points a game which ranks 191st. Their defense has been more appealing at limiting opponents to 60.7 each battle, ranking fifth. This margin is solid, but only if their offense can be more productive.

The Gaels are 32nd overall for their strength of schedule and point margins each game. They rank 41st for their efficient offense per 100 possessions and 10th for their efficiency on the defensive end at the same rate.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has you covered for the most appealing Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels betting odds, showing the Gaels as 4.5-point favorites. Market predictions are showing the Gaels having a 66.0 percent chance of winning.

If Vanderbilt had better momentum coming in, then they would look more appealing. Look for the Gaels to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Saint Mary’s Gaels -4.5 (-105)