The UCSB Gauchos take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Our college basketball odds series has our UCSB Hawaii prediction and pick. Find out how to watch UCSB Hawaii.
The college basketball season has arrived at the final weekend of January. The conference races across the country are coming into focus and are taking on clearer characteristics. On the islands of Hawaii, the Big West Conference race will take another step in its evolution when UC Santa Barbara visits the Rainbow Warriors in Honolulu. UCSB leads the Big West with a 7-1 record, half a game ahead of UC Irvine and UC Riverside. Hawaii is one game behind UCSB in fourth place. The Rainbow Warriors can tie the Gauchos in the standings with a win here. Given that Irvine and Riverside are also in the mix, Hawaii really needs this game — not only to keep contact with UCSB, but to make sure that it doesn't have to climb over three teams in the Big West in the month of February. This is Hawaii's big chance to ensure that it won't have to play catch-up with its three primary conference compeititors the rest of the way.
Here are the UCSB-Hawaii college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
College Basketball Odds: UCSB-Hawaii Odds
UCSB Gauchos: +1.5 (-110)
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 127.5 (-110)
Under: 127.5 (-110)
How To Watch UCSB vs. Hawaii
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 11:59 p.m. ET, 8:59 p.m. PT
*Watch UCSB-Hawaii LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why UCSB Could Cover The Spread
The Gauchos have been the best team in the Big West so far this season. They have won four of their last five games, all of them by at least eight points and three of them by at least 12. Their only loss in the past five games was a one-point loss to UC Riverside. This team plays really good defense, too. The Gauchos have not allowed more than 65 points in any of their last five games. We often talk about basketball teams being in a good rhythm. Fans usually think this applies to the offense, and specifically to shooters, but it can just as easily and fully apply to defense. UC Santa Barbara is in rhythm on defense, communicating well and working seamlessly together as a five-man unit to deny opponents easy shots at the basket. That will matter in a game which certainly appears likely to be close to the final horn.
Why Hawaii Could Cover The Spread
The Rainbow Warriors are at home. They know they really need to win this game to have a realistic shot at the Big West regular season championship. This team won the Diamond Head Classic tournament on Christmas and showed what it was capable of that week. The fact that the tournament was played on UH's home floor in Honolulu is an indication that this is a real and substantive home-court advantage for the Rainbow Warriors. UCSB is a very good team, but if one was to arrive at the conclusion that the Gauchos are likely to lose a game in the conference, this certainly stands out as a strong possibility. It's a good spot for Hawaii, and probably a good spot to bet against UCSB. There won't be many more of those kinds of opportunities as the season continues.
Final UCSB-Hawaii Prediction & Pick
Stay away from this game. It feels like a coin flip, and that's a game to pass on instead of trying to make a play.
Final UCSB-Hawaii Prediction & Pick: Hawaii -1.5
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