Check out our free UC Irvine vs Long Beach State pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Long Beach. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
UC Irvine vs Long Beach State Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds
Anteaters vs Beach Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: UC Irvine Anteaters at Long Beach State Beach
- Where: Long Beach at Walter Pyramid
- Date: Saturday, February 4th
- Betting Odds: UC Irvine +1, UCIRV -104 | LBST -119 O/U 150.0
Anteaters Preview:
The UC Irvine Anteaters will be looking to pick up their 23rd win of the season and are in the middle of a 2 game win streak. On the road, the Anteaters will be playing their 12th game of the season, having gone 8-4. So far, the Anteaters have been the underdog 4 times, going 1-3 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +1 underdogs on the spread.
UC Irvine’s leading scorer this season is Dawson Baker, who is averaging 14.55 points per contest. So far, Baker has accounted for 18.98% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 3.36 rebounds per game and 0.95 assists. DJ Davis is the second leading scorer for the Anteaters, averaging 13.64 points per game. Between him and Davis, they are accounting for 36.8% of the team’s scoring.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for UC Irvine this season, as they are currently ranked 351st in college basketball at 66.2 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Anteaters’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 32.5%, placing them 346th in the NCAA.
Beach Preview:
Long Beach State will take their 5 game win streak into today’s game. So far, the team has an overall record of 13-10. Currently, the Beach have been the home team 12 times, sitting with a record of 8-4. The Beach’s are sitting with a betting line that is -1 points in their favor. For the season, Long Beach State has been favored to win in 13 games, sitting with a mark of 9-4.
Long Beach State’s leading scorer this season is Marcus Tsohonis, who is averaging 15.0 points per contest. So far, Tsohonis has accounted for 15.38% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 3.33 rebounds per game and 1.67 assists. Lassina Traore is the second leading scorer for the Beach, averaging 11.61 points per game. Between him and Traore, they are accounting for 30.6% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, Long Beach State is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 73.9 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 23 games, they have only hit 35.4% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 31.73% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: Long Beach State Beach -1
In this matchup between the Long Beach State Beach and UC Irvine Anteaters, the oddsmakers have Long Beach State as the -1 point favories on the spread. According to our college basketball betting model, we anticipate the Beach to cover the spread as the home favorites. We are looking for the Beach’s offensive attack to put together a strong outside shooting performance. For the season, Long Beach State is averaging 6.56 made 3’s per game on a shooting percentage of 35.4%. A good outing from downtown will make a huge difference in the game as UC Irvine has struggled with their outside shot this season. This scenario has us feeling confident in taking Long Beach State laying the points.
