UCSB vs. UC Riverside Big West Tournament Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 10, 2023

The No. 2 seed UCSB Gauchos (25-7, 15-5 Big West) take on the No. 3 seed UC Riverside Highlanders (22-11, 14-6 Big West) as 3-point favorites in the Big West Tournament Friday at Dollar Loan Center, starting at 11:30 PM on ESPNU. Both teams will look to take one step closer to earning an automatic place in the NCAA Tournament bracket. The matchup has an over/under set at 132.5 points.

UCSB vs. UC Riverside Odds

• UCSB odds to win: -156
• UC Riverside odds to win: +133
• Spread: UCSB (-3)
• Total: 132.5

UCSB vs. UC Riverside Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Friday, March 10, 2023
• Time: 11:30 PM ET
• TV: ESPNU
• Where: Henderson, Nevada
• Venue: Dollar Loan Center

Who Will Win UCSB vs. UC Riverside?

UCSB and UC Riverside Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

UCSB has a 13-10-1 record against the spread this season when favored by 3 points or more.

When it has played as at least a 3-point underdog this season, UC Riverside is 6-4 against the spread.

These teams average 143.6 points per game combined, 11.1 more than the total of 132.5.

UCSB and UC Riverside have seen its opponents average a combined 1.1 more points per game than the over/under of 132.5 set in this matchup.

UCSB’s average total in matchups this year has been 136.6, 4.1 points higher than the total in this particular game.

The average total for Highlanders games this year is 8.0 more points than the point total of 132.5 for this outing.

So far this season, the Gauchos have compiled an 18-11-1 record against the spread.

The Highlanders have gone 18-14-0 ATS this year.

UCSB Stats & Insights

UCSB’s +208 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 6.5 points per game) is a result of scoring 71.6 points per game (184th in college basketball) while allowing 65.1 per contest (44th in college basketball).

The 29.4 rebounds per game UCSB averages rank 300th in the country, and are three more than the 26.4 its opponents collect per outing.

The Gauchos connect on 5.5 three-pointers per game (338th in college basketball) at a 34.4% rate (172nd in college basketball), compared to the 5.8 their opponents make while shooting 34.3% from deep.

UCSB’s 99.3 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 47th in college basketball, and the 90.3 points it allows per 100 possessions rank 141st in college basketball.

The Gauchos are posting 75.3 points per game in home games. When playing on the road, they are averaging 69.6 points per contest.

UC Riverside Stats & Insights

UC Riverside has a +116 scoring differential, topping opponents by 3.5 points per game. It is putting up 72 points per game, 173rd in college basketball, and is giving up 68.5 per outing to rank 129th in college basketball.

UC Riverside wins the rebound battle by 4.3 boards on average. It records 32.8 rebounds per game, 112th in college basketball, while its opponents pull down 28.5.

UC Riverside hits 8.3 three-pointers per game (75th in college basketball) at a 35.9% rate (88th in college basketball), compared to the 5.2 per game its opponents make, at a 33% rate.

UC Riverside puts up 94.7 points per 100 possessions (158th in college basketball), while conceding 90.1 points per 100 possessions (136th in college basketball).

The Highlanders are putting up more points at home (75.7 per game) than on the road (69.1).

UCSB Key Players to Watch

The leader in points and assists for the Gauchos is Ajay Mitchell, who scores 15.9 points and distributes 5.2 assists per game.

Andre Kelly is UCSB’s best rebounder, hauling in an average of 6.5 boards in each contest while scoring 9.7 points per game.

Miles Norris leads the Gauchos in three-point shooting, making an average of 1.6 shots per game from beyond the arc.

Mitchell and Norris lead UCSB on the defensive end, with Mitchell leading the team in steals averaging 1.4 per game and Norris in blocks averaging 0.8 per contest.

UC Riverside Key Players to Watch

Zyon Pullin’s points (18.1 per game) and assists (4.2 per game) stat lines give him the top scoring and assists spots on the Highlanders’ leaderboards.

Lachlan Olbrich is at the top of the UC Riverside rebounding leaderboard with six rebounds per game. He also scores 11.4 points and tacks on 1.5 assists per game.

Flynn Cameron is the top shooter from deep for the Highlanders, hitting 2.4 threes per game.

Cameron (1.2 steals per game) is the steal leader for UC Riverside while Olbrich (0.5 blocks per game) is the block leader.

UCSB vs. UC Riverside Prediction

• Pick ATS:

  UC Riverside (+3)
  

• Pick OU:

  Over (132.5)
  

• Prediction:
  UCSB 70, UC Riverside 68

How to Bet on UCSB vs. UC Riverside

And for more CBB game previews, NCAA basketball picks or even how to bet on college basketball check out the latest NCAAB lines on Betsperts.