2026 West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament Odds & Predictions

The 2026 West Coast Conference Tournament tips off on Thursday, March 5, with Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, and Santa Clara among the group of competitors that will be looking to raise a trophy at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. While the high-major tournaments always rope in casual viewers, true hoop-heads know that this tournament always delivers. And this year’s tournament should have some juice, as this is Gonzaga’s last year in the conference.

The Zags are one of the best teams in the nation every single season, and they’re looking for one last conference title before bolting for the new-look Pac-12. However, the Gaels have been a consistent presence in the Top 25 under Randy Bennett, and they have won two of these in the last decade. Meanwhile, Herb Sendek’s Broncos have had a tremendous season and they’re knocking on the door of a true breakthrough. Perhaps they can make a statement by winning before Gonzaga heads out the door.

How to Watch the West Coast Conference Tournament

When: March 5-10

Where: Orleans Arena in Paradise, Nevada

Format: Teams seeded by records within conference; top-four seeds get byes through quarterfinals

Watch: ESPN+, ESPN, ESPN2; Championship Game on ESPN on Mar. 10 at 9:00 p.m. ET

College Basketball Odds | College Basketball Betting Splits | Greg Peterson’s Daily Lines | Steve Makinen’s Power Ratings

West Coast Conference Bracket

West Coast Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds

Embed from Getty Images
  1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (-210)
  2. Saint Mary’s Gaels (+230)
  3. Santa Clara Broncos (+650)
  4. Oregon State Beavers (170-1)
  5. San Francisco Dons (120-1)
  6. Pacific Tigers (250-1)
  7. Seattle Redhawks (180-1)
  8. Washington State Cougars (250-1)
  9. Portland Pilots (800-1)
  10. Loyola Marymount Lions (800-1)
  11. San Diego Toreros (1000-1)
  12. Pepperdine Waves (800-1)

(odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)

Favorite To Win West Coast Conference Tournament

Gonzaga was 17-1 with Bart Torvik’s ninth-best Power Rating (.9608) before Braden Huff went down with a knee injury. Huff, who’s averaging 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this year, is one of the best bigs in the conference, so his absence is a significant one for the Zags — and it doesn’t sound like they’ll have him back before the NCAA Tournament. However, the Bulldogs didn’t let their season slip away after Huff’s injury. In fact, they’re 11-2 with some big wins since January 8, and they’re a top-10 defensive team in the nation when looking at Adjusted Defensive Efficiency (94.3) in this span. Everything this team is looking to accomplish is still right in front of them, and Graham Ike, who is tied for 15th in the nation in Box Plus-Minus (+10.6) and averaging 19.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, is a big part of that. The Zags are capable of locking opponents up, then they dump the ball inside to Ike and allow him to utilize his tremendous combination of size and skill to carry the offense. That formula should be a winning one in the postseason. Plus, while Gonzaga hasn’t yet won a national title under Mark Few, the Bulldogs have dominated this tournament. They’re the defending champs entering this year’s event, and they have won 11 of the last 13 West Coast Conference Tournaments.

West Coast Conference Tournament Darkhorse

It’s hard to really pick out a darkhorse in a conference that features nine teams going off at 120-1 or higher. With that in mind, the only answer here is Santa Clara. Since January 1, the Broncos are Bart Torvik’s No. 25 team when looking at Adjusted Offensive Efficiency (124.0). This is a team that can score inside and out, and they bring something different to the table than the traditional WCC powers. The Broncos are playing at the 13th-fastest tempo (71.8) in the nation since the start of the new year, making them a speed-you-up program in a conference of slowpokes. That said, if Santa Clara gets hot for a week, anything can happen. And Christian Hammond, a sophomore guard that’s averaging 15.9 points per game, can hold his own against any backcourt player in the conference. This rotation is also deep with contributors, which is a necessity when you’re getting up and down the floor. And strong depth is always valuable come tourney time.

Betting Pick to Win the West Coast Conference Tournament

As boring as it is to pick Gonzaga, that’s the way to go here. While Saint Mary’s beat this group on February 28, that game was played in McKeon Pavilion. The Gaels have a very strong home-court advantage, and the team ran with it in that game. They shot 16 for 33 from 3 in that one, while the Zags were just 5 for 17 from deep. On a neutral floor, that shooting should even out quite a bit. The turnovers should also be a little closer, as the Zags coughed it up 11 times to the Gaels’ six last game. There’s also a good chance Gonzaga will be a little healthier in a potential Round 3 versus Saint Mary’s. Maybe this is a play that’s worth throwing into some future parlays. I also wouldn’t be stunned if Santa Clara bounces Saint Mary’s, but I don’t see the Broncos beating the Zags. Honestly, Gonzaga going out on top in the program’s final year in the WCC almost feels like something that needs to happen.

Makinen Power Ratings for West Coast Conference

  • West Coast teams that had a bye in earlier round(s) are on a tremendous 31-7 SU and 22-15-1 ATS (59.5%) run.
  • WCC favorites in the semifinal and championship rounds are on a 22-14 ATS (61.1%) run.
  • The sweet spot for betting favorites in the WCC tourney is in the -6 to -12 line range, 26-4 SU and 23-6-1 ATS (79.3%) in last 30.
  • West Coast Conference tourney totals of 147 or higher have been explosive lately, going Over the total at a 27-12-1 (69.2%) rate, while producing about 156.8 PPG on average.

More Steve Makinen Conference Tournament Betting Trends.

Check out the other previews in our 2026 College Basketball Conference Tournament Betting Guide.

The post 2026 West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament Odds & Predictions appeared first on VSiN.