While it’s almost certain UC Irvine has already secured a spot in the Big West Conference Tournament, UC Santa Barbara still needs at least another win or two to lock up a spot. The top eight teams in the conference are eligible for the conference tourney.
The Gauchos (16-8, 8-5) are tied for fifth in the conference standings and will try to get one of those victories tonight when they visit UC Irvine. UCSB has won three in a row and four of its last five.
The Anteaters (20-4, 10-2) are tied with UC San Diego for the top spot in the league, who they lost to, 85-67, on Saturday. They’ll be aiming to bounce back with a win tonight.
UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine Odds
UC Irvine is an 8.5-point college basketball odds favorite on BetMGM against UC Santa Barbara while the Over/Under is at 139.5 points.
The Moneyline for UC Irvine is at -417 and +320 for UC Santa Barbara.
UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine On TV
The matchup between UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine will be televised on ESPNU.
Tonight’s game tips off at 11 p.m. ET.
UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine Prediction
I predict UC Santa Barbara will cover the 8.5-point spread as a road underdog. I also predict this game will go under 139.5 points.
These are two of the best defenses in the conference. UC Santa Barbara ranks third in scoring defense, allowing 66.7 points per game while UC Irvine’s 66 PPG allowed is second-best.
These are also the two best teams in the Big West at defending the perimeter.
UCSB allows opponents to shoot just 32% from the outside while UCI allows 32.4%. Defending the arc will be important for UCI as the Gauchos have the top two outside shooters in the league.
Cole Anderson’s 3-point percentage of 53.9% leads the country and he shoots nearly five 3s per game. Stephan Swenson is second in the BW and 12th in the country, shooting 44.7% from the outside. He also leads UCSB with 13.1 PPG.
The Anteaters have done a great job of taking away shooters this season, mainly by not letting them get the ball. However, the Gauchos have a screen-heavy offense that features a ton of dribble-handoffs so I expect there to be some opportunities for open 3s. UCSB will just have to knock them down like it has been all season.
The Gauchos are also patient, find open shots, and can score at the rim if they need to. Per KenPom, they have an effective field-goal percentage of 56.4% in conference games, which is the best in the league. Kenny Pohto averages 12 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and leads the conference in field-goal percentage (61.7%).
The biggest key for UCSB is stopping 7-foot-1 Bent Leuchten. The Anteaters’ senior is a force inside and leads the team with 16 points and 9.1 RPG. Pohto has the size to disrupt him, but it’ll need to be a team effort on the glass.
Devin Tillis adds 13.3 PPG and eight RPG, while Myles Che and Justin Hohn score 12 PPG for the Anteaters.
UC Irvine is the better team and even though it will be eager to dust off its 18-point loss, I think the Gauchos are no pushover and won’t lose by double-digits.
UCSB is 1-1-1 against the spread as an underdog and UCI is 13-6 ATS as a favorite. The over is 1-2 when the Gauchos are an underdog and 9-10 when the Anteaters are a favorite.
