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2009 West Coast Conference Basketball Preview

Our man Poolside Rants weighs in with his 2009 WCC (West Coast Conference) basketball predictions and points out how the WCC will break down this year from an online gambling perspective and handicapping angle…

NCAA Basketball Betting – Can anyone stop Gonzaga’s WCC dominance?

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Since 1999, Gonzaga has been a solid online betting favorite in the West Coast Conference with 11 straight trips to the WCC title game, including nine wins. However, the Bulldogs lost a few key players, and they could be ripe for the picking.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Four of their top five scorers are gone from last year’s squad, which piles a lot of pressure on Matt Bouldin. Big center Robert Sacre will also be counted on for production, while Steven Gray will run the point for the Bulldogs. Freshman Elias Harris, out of Germany, is an intriguing player who could be set for big things and is a boost to their sportsbook betting lines.

St. Mary’s Gaels

Three of the Gaels’ top five scorers have left school, and it’ll be a tough task to replace Patty Mills, as they showed when he was hurt last year. Freshman Matt Dellavedova may step into the void left by Mills, while Omar Samhan is a double-double threat. Another player to look out for is Mickey McConnell, who adds scoring and experience in the backcourt.

Portland Pilots

The Pilots have 12 players back from last year’s lineup, including the duo of Nik Raivio and T.J. Campbell, who transferred to the program last year and made an instant splash. Now, some NCAA basketball betting players are thinking that they can overtake the Bulldogs and win the WCC Tournament for the first time since 1996.Sports Betting at the Sportsbook

Pepperdine Waves

The Waves have to improve on last season’s nine wins, and Keion Bell was all over the place in his freshman year. Bell led the team in points, boards, assists and steals, but also in turnovers. Pepperdine will ask him to be more careful this year, and he’ll have to trust his teammates, like Dane Suttle Jr. and Taylor Darby. The Waves don’t have much of an NCAA basketball betting chance in the conference, but watch out for them in next year’s betting picks.

Santa Clara Broncos

Steve Nash’s alma mater is looking to fill some gaps left by graduated players, especially John Bryant. Kevin Foster and Marc Trasolini will be the main players to make up his scoring, but it’ll take the entire team to replace his rebounding power on the glass. Also, watch out for freshman forward Niyi Harrison, who has the ability to lead the team in rebounding this year.

2009 West Coast Conference Pick

Experience is everything in college basketball, which is why we’re going with Portland to unseat Gonzaga this year. The Pilots are deep, experienced and talented, while Gonzaga has to work too many new faces into the rotation. All eyes should be focused on January 9th and February 4th on your WCC calendar: that’s when these two meet. Go with Portland in your NCAA basketball betting picks in your sportsbook.

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By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"

One reply on “2009 West Coast Conference Basketball Preview”

Gonzaga is still my favorite to win the WCC but I agree that they are not as solid a favorite as in past years. Portland would also be my choice to provide the biggest challenge.

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