Santa Barbara vs. UC San Diego prediction, pick, college basketball odds
Today at 01:37 AM
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (12-6, 4-3 Big West) hit the road to take on the UC San Diego Tritons (15-4, 5-2 Big West) Thursday night. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Santa Barbara-UC San Diego prediction and pick.
Here are the Santa Barbara-UC San Diego College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuelÂ
College Basketball Odds: Santa Barbara-UC San Diego Odds
Santa Barbara: +10.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +490
UC San Diego: -10.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -710
Over: 137.5 (-110)
Under: 137.5 (-110)
How to Watch Santa Barbara vs. UC San Diego
Time: 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Santa Barbara Will Cover The Spread/Win
UC Santa Barbara has played well lately. They started Big West play 0-2, but they have won four of their last five games to get above .500 in conference. They have beaten a few good teams in those four wins, as well. One thing they have done brilliantly in their last five games is defend. The Gauchos are allowing 65.2 points per game in their last five, which is around their season average. Allowing that many points in a game really helps teams win in college. With this spread being double digits, if the Gauchos can hold the Tritons to around that number, they will be in good shape.
The Gauchos will need their top players to step up. That is Kenny Pohto and Stephan Swenson. They are the two leading scorers on the team as they average 12.9 and 12.5 points per game. Along with that, Pohto constantly leads the team in rebounds while Swenson can pass the ball well. Pohto and Swenson are the two most important players on the team. If they play well, UC Santa Barbara will play well. These two players have to have a big game for the Gauchos to win Thursday night.
Why UC San Diego Will Cover The Spread/Win
UC San Diego is one of the better teams in the conference. They are second in the Big West in points per game, fourth in field goal percentage, fourth in three-point percentage, and they pass the ball around well. Along with that, the Tritons are the best defensive team in the conference. They allow the fewest points per game, and the fewest shots attempted per game. This is because they force almost 17 turnovers per game. If the Tritons can keep playing well on both sides of the court, they will cover the spread.
The Tritons traveled to the Gauchos earlier this season. They were able to win that game by eight points. Now, UC Santa Barbara did score 76 points, which is the second-most points the Tritons have allowed all season. However, UC San Diego scored 84 of their own points. The Tritons put down 28 shots in the game, and they made 20 of their 24 free throws. UC San Diego also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, which means they had a lot of second chances. If the Tritons can have a similar offensive game, they are going to be able to cover the spread.
Final Santa Barbara-UC San Diego Prediction & Pick
UC San Diego is truly the better team. However, they have lost two of their last three games, but UC Santa Barbara has not been much better in conference games. With this being a home game for the Tritons, I will take them to cover the spread.
Final Santa Barbara-UC San Diego Prediction & Pick: UC San Diego -10.5 (-120)
The post Santa Barbara vs. UC San Diego prediction, pick, college basketball odds appeared first on ClutchPoints.
