San Diego Toreros vs Santa Clara Broncos Prediction, 1/4/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: San Diego Toreros vs Santa Clara Broncos

Date: Sunday, January 4, 2026

Location: Leavey Center in Santa Clara, CA

TV: ESPN+

The Santa Clara Broncos (11-4) will try to beat the San Diego Toreros (6-8) at Leavey Center on Sunday.

The San Diego Toreros played Gonzaga and took a loss by a final of 99-93 in their last contest. When it comes to fouls, the Toreros finished with 22 while Gonzaga had 20 fouls. They made 8 out of their 18 attempts from downtown. Gonzaga finished shooting 54.2% at the free throw line by knocking down 13 of their 24 shots. Moreover, Gonzaga snagged 43 boards (15 offensive, 28 defensive), but didn't have a block. Gonzaga recorded 27 dimes and had 6 steals in this matchup. In reference to defending, San Diego allowed the other team to go 56.5% from the floor on 39 of 69 shooting. They also doled out 21 assists in this matchup in addition to forcing the opposition into 15 turnovers and getting 8 steals. In reference to pulling down boards, they collected a total of 24 with 5 of them being offensive. From the free throw line, the Toreros made 15 of 23 shots for a percentage of 65.2%. San Diego wrapped up the game having earned a 52.4% FG percentage (33 of 63) and converted 12 out of their 31 shots from beyond the perimeter.

Ty-Laur Johnson is a player who was a major contributor in this game. He finished shooting 75.0% from the field and earned 2 dimes. He was on the court for 35 minutes played but finished the game without a rebound. He left the arena with 21 points on 9 of 12 shooting.

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San Diego heads into this contest with a mark of 6-8 for the campaign. They are averaging 74.4 points per contest (256th in college) while going 43.8% from the floor. The Toreros are connecting on 34.5% on shots from 3-point land (132 of 383) and 76.2% from the charity stripe. As a unit, San Diego is collecting 30.7 boards per game and has earned 218 dimes on the year, which ranks 99th in college hoops in terms of passing the ball. They are losing possession via turnover 12.8 times per game and as a team they are committing 18.5 fouls per game.

When they are on the defensive end, the Toreros are forcing 14.9 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 16.5 personal fouls. They are ranked 281st in college in giving up assists with 206 relinquished on the year. The Toreros are allowing a field goal percentage of 47.8% (385 of 806) and they concede 36.9 rebounds per game as a unit. They are giving up 32.8% on shots from downtown and they are 272nd in college in PPG allowed (76.9).

When they last stepped on the court, the Santa Clara Broncos walked away with a victory by a final of 92-85 when they played Portland. In reference to how they cleaned up the glass, Santa Clara allowed Portland to grab 21 in all (9 offensive). They finished shooting 35.0% from beyond the arc by shooting 7 of 20 and ended up shooting 10 out of 16 from the free throw line (62.5%). The Broncos permitted Portland to convert 34 of 58 tries from the floor which left them with a shooting percentage of 58.6% in this matchup. At the conclusion of this game, the Broncos ended up shooting 34 for 63 from the field which gave them a percentage of 54.0%. In the matter of 3-point shots, Santa Clara converted 10 of 27 tries (37.0%). They were able to make 14 of the free throws for a percentage of 82.4%. Portland earned 18 personal fouls for the contest which got the Broncos to the free throw line for 17 tries. They also gave up possession of the ball 12 times, while earning 10 steals for this game. The Broncos were able to collect 15 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive boards for a total of 25 in this matchup.

Elijah Mahi was important for the Broncos in the matchup. He earned 22 points in his 32 minutes on the hardwood and added 1 assist in the matchup. He made 9 out of 13 for the matchup giving him a rate of 69.2%, and totaled 2 rebounds.

Santa Clara has a record of 11-4 so far this season. The Broncos are committing 19.7 personal fouls every game and they shoot 69.7% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 18.5 times per contest (32nd in the country) and they are turning it over 12.0 times per game. Santa Clara has totaled 1,222 pts this year (81.5 per contest) and they pull in 36.4 boards per game. On the offensive side of the court, the Broncos are shooting 46.2% from the floor, which has them ranked 146th in D-1.

The Broncos on the defensive end are ranked 126th in college in PPG allowed with 70.9. They are forcing 14.3 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 44.1% from the floor (225th in college). The Santa Clara defense concedes 32.1% on 3-point shots (102 of 318) and their opposition knocks down 74.4% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have allowed 14.8 dimes and 31.0 boards every game, which is 277th and 45th in college.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take San Diego

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