Halftime Report
Fortunes may be turning around for Portland after losing five in a row. They have jumped out to a quick 33-25 lead against Santa Clara. Portland took a big hit to their ego last Thursday, so a win here would be a pleasant pick-me-up.
Portland came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.
Who's Playing
Santa Clara Broncos @ Portland Pilots
Current Records: Santa Clara 18-11, Portland 9-20
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Chiles Center -- Portland, Oregon
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $5.00
What to Know
Portland will be in front of their home fans on Thursday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They and the Santa Clara Broncos will face off in a West Coast battle at 9:00 p.m. ET at Chiles Center. Portland is limping into the game on a five-game losing streak.
We saw a pretty high 163.5-over/under line set for Portland's previous contest, but the actual score was more down to earth. Their painful 86-65 loss to the Bulldogs on Thursday might stick with them for a while. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Portland in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now lost 11 in a row.
Despite their loss, Portland saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Tyler Robertson, who scored 18 points along with eight rebounds, was perhaps the best of all.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Santa Clara's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They fell 94-81 to the Bulldogs.
Like Santa Clara, they lost despite seeing results from several players. Christoph Tilly led the charge by scoring 18 points along with eight rebounds. Tilly didn't help Santa Clara's cause all that much against the Lions on Thursday but the same can't be said for this matchup. The team also got some help courtesy of Johnny O'Neil, who scored 16 points along with three steals and two blocks.
The Pilots have traveled a rocky road recently having lost 11 of their last 13 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-20 record this season. As for the Broncos, their loss dropped their record down to 18-11.
While the two teams both let their fans down in their last outings, both still covered. Looking ahead, Santa Clara is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 10.5 points. They might be worth a quick bet since they're sitting on a seven game streak of covering the spread when playing on the road.
Portland ended up a good deal behind the Broncos in their previous meeting back in January, losing 101-86. Will Portland have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Odds
Santa Clara is a big 10.5-point favorite against Portland, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 10.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 155 points.
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Series History
Santa Clara has won all of the games they've played against Portland in the last 5 years.
- Jan 20, 2024 - Santa Clara 101 vs. Portland 86
- Feb 18, 2023 - Santa Clara 103 vs. Portland 84
- Mar 05, 2022 - Santa Clara 91 vs. Portland 67
- Feb 26, 2022 - Santa Clara 102 vs. Portland 89
- Mar 04, 2021 - Santa Clara 95 vs. Portland 86
- Mar 05, 2020 - Santa Clara 76 vs. Portland 62
- Feb 29, 2020 - Santa Clara 73 vs. Portland 68
- Feb 01, 2020 - Santa Clara 85 vs. Portland 61
- Mar 02, 2019 - Santa Clara 78 vs. Portland 62
- Feb 02, 2019 - Santa Clara 69 vs. Portland 63