The Big West deserves to be a two-bid league in the NCAA basketball tournament. Will it, though?
UC San Diego and UC Irvine have both proven they should be dancing, but we all know that doesn’t mean it will happen. All we know is that it’s highly likely at least one of these programs will hear its name called on Selection Sunday — as long as one wins the Big West tourney.
College basketball betting odds have UCSD (-160) and UCI (+170) with by far the shortest odds to win it, and rightfully so. Both squads have been above the rest of the conference all season and don’t have to play until the Big West semifinals, making the path to the championship fairly easy for the top two seeds:
At 12/1, fourth-seeded Cal State Northridge comes in with the third-shortest odds while No. 3 UC Riverside is +1400. Of the top four favorites, none have won the past four Big West tourneys. UCI’s most recent title came in 2019, which was its second after its 2015 run.
UCSD is in its first year of being eligible for NCAA postseason play following its four-year transitional period from Division II. After a few tough years, they’re now a legitimate NCAA tourney threat.
Big West Basketball Tournament Odds
| Team | BetMGM Odds |
| UC San Diego | -160 |
| UC Irvine | +170 |
| Cal State Northridge | +1200 |
| UC Riverside | +1400 |
| UC Santa Barbara | +4000 |
| Cal Poly | +6600 |
| UC Davis | +15000 |
| CSU Bakersfield | +30000 |
Odds via BetMGM as of March 11
Big West Basketball Tournament Prediction
Let’s face it. The college basketball world would love nothing more than to see another meeting between UCSD and UCI with a trip to the Big Dance on the line, despite how great of a story it would be if a team other than the Tritons or Anteaters won the conference tourney. I predict the two programs do meet again, and UCSD comes out on top to win its first-ever Big West tournament title.
Not only are these the two best teams in the Big West Basketball Tournament, but they’re two of the best mid-major programs in the country.
UCSD (28-4) ranks eighth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 62 points per game. Their offense is just as good, with an offensive adjusted efficiency of 119.9 in conference games, which is by far the highest in the league, according to KenPom.
UCI (27-5) excels at making life difficult for opponents defensively, especially in the paint. The Anteaters allow opponents to shoot just 39% from the field, which is the ninth-best mark in the country. The season series was split with the Anteaters edging out the Tritons in the first matchup while UCSD won the second meeting by 18.
If the two do end up playing for the title, I think both teams will have done enough this season to be in the NCAA tournament field. UCSD is 35th in the NET rankings and is 2-1 in Quad 1 games while UCI is 62nd and 1-0.
It’s hard to trust the other teams to make a run to the Big West title. CSUN has only lost two games since Jan. 25 – to UC Riverside and UCI – and has a high-powered offense that could be dangerous. It’s also worth noting that UC Riverside is the only team in the league to beat both UCI and UCSD and did so in back-to-back games. It could be worth taking a shot on the Highlanders at 14/1, especially since UCSD’s price of -160 is so steep. UCI at plus-money is also worth a look.
Riverside sophomore Barrington Hargress is a name to know and is second in the conference with 20.6 points per game. If anyone spoils UCSD’s or UCI’s hopes of a Big West title, it could be him. Isn’t that what March is all about?
