Check out our free UC Irvine vs UC Santa Barbara pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Santa Barbara. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
UC Irvine vs UC Santa Barbara Pick & Preview: Wednesday, February 15th Betting Odds
Anteaters vs Gauchos Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: UC Irvine Anteaters at UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
- Where: Santa Barbara at The Thunderdome
- Date: Wednesday, February 15th
- Betting Odds: UC Irvine +3.5, UCIRV +137 | USCB -167 O/U 136.5
Anteaters Preview:
Through 25 games, the UC Irvine Anteaters have an overall record of 17-8. So far, the Anteaters have played 13 games on the road, with a record of 8-5. For the season, UC Irvine has been the underdog in 5 games, sitting with a mark of 1-4. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Anteaters being +3.5 point underdogs.
UC Irvine’s leading scorer this season is Dawson Baker, who is averaging 15.12 points per contest. So far, Baker has accounted for 19.77% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 3.48 rebounds per game and 0.96 assists. DJ Davis is the second leading scorer for the Anteaters, averaging 14.12 points per game. Between him and Davis, they are accounting for 38.2% 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.
Gauchos Preview:
Through 24 games, the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos have an overall record of 20-4. Currently, the Gauchos have been the home team 12 times, sitting with a record of 11-1. The Gauchos’ are sitting with a betting line that is -3.5 points in their favor. For the season, UC Santa Barbara has been favored to win in 18 games, sitting with a mark of 15-3.
UC Santa Barbara’s leading scorer this season is Ajay Mitchell, who is averaging 15.92 points per contest. So far, Mitchell has accounted for 22.35% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 2.58 rebounds per game and 4.79 assists. Miles Norris is the second leading scorer for the Gauchos, averaging 13.83 points per game. Between him and Norris, they are accounting for 41.8% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, UC Santa Barbara is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 73.8 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 24 games, they have only hit 33.2% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 29.99% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos -3.5
Heading into this matchup, the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos are the favorite to come home with the win over UC Irvine with a spread sitting at -3.5. Although neither team has been lighting it up from oustide with below average 3-point shooting numbers, we like the fact that UC Santa Barbara has the edge in overall field percentage, connecting on 49.4% of their shots. In addition, the Gauchos’ have a strong ATS record over their last 10 games on their home court, going 8-2. If following our NCAA college basketball model, it is recommended to take the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos to cover at -3.5.
