NCAAB conferences: No rest for best of the West

The schedule is jam-packed with college hoops and the conference tournaments, and while the more notable groups get going tomorrow and Wednesday, do not sleep on the quality of this West Coast Conference. We're likely seeing three of these teams in the tournament next week, and two in particular seem worth a bet to get our week going.

Teasing the West Coast's best

The West Coast has two teams ranked inside the Top 25 in No. 19 Gonzaga and No. 23 Saint Mary's, and KenPom is equally bullish on both teams. Pomeroy has the Gonzaga Bulldogs as the 15th-best team in the land, and the Gaels aren't far behind, ranking 22nd.

Ideally we'd love to see these teams square off tomorrow in the West Coast Conference championship, and it's in that direction we move with our wagers today.

Saint Mary's is facing a solid Santa Clara squad, though one that is severely outmatched on the defensive side. The Gaels have already beaten the Broncos twice this season, with a 73-49 road win being particularly telling of what's to come this evening.

Gonzaga draws a tough San Francisco team, but the Bulldogs are one of the country's top offenses and just has the experience we tend to trust at this juncture in March. Gonzaga just beat the Dons 12 days ago in San Francisco, winning by 18, and they won the previous meeting as well.

Chalky though it may be, we prefer backing the better teams in this conference, and we'll move each spread down a bit and combine. 

Here's to a Saint Mary's-Gonzaga title game tomorrow, and a winning bet tonight.

Betting: Saint Mary's -5.5 & Gonzaga -3.5 (-105 DraftKings)

In the news ...

Tee Higgins requests trade — Tee Higgins is a star WR in his own right, but you may overlook that with Ja'Marr Chase alongside him in Cincinnati. That feeling may be shared by the Bengals' front office, as Higgins has requested a trade, citing disappointment toward no long-term contract discussions coming from the team. The Bengals had franchise-tagged Higgins this offseason, but now may look for a trade partner who is willing to compensate Higgins as a WR1. A strong return seems likely, and there is no shortage of teams who could use an infusion of wide receiver talent.

Russell Wilson signs with Steelers — As was widely expected, Russell Wilson has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal to compete for the starting job. It will likely be either Wilson or 2022 first round pick Kenny Pickett that takes the reins on Pittsburgh's starting job this coming season. The Steelers are coming off a 10-7 season that culminated in a wild-card round loss, and Pittsburgh is currently +1000 to win the AFC North, the worst odds in the division. Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields are the next QB dominoes to fall as free agency is set to begin.

Stetson, Longwood, Drake, Morehead State win conferences and secure spots in NCAA tournament — We have our first four conference winners from college hoops, with Stetson, Longwood, Drake and Morehead State all securing their spots in the big dance next week. The rest of conference play either wraps up or gets started this week, and there's plenty to get out ahead of now. We've got a Big 12 betting primer, an A-10 betting preview and much more throughout the page. This is going to be a fun week.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll. Follow him on Substack: griffybets.substack.com.