The Santa Barbara Gauchos take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Santa Barbara Hawaii prediction and pick. Find how to watch Santa Barbara Hawaii.

The Santa Barbara Gauchos were 0-3 in the Big West Conference. They needed to find a way to turn around a season which was going in the wrong direction. In the past few weeks, they have managed to do that, winning four of five games to even their conference record at 4-4. UCSB has been one of the better teams in the Big West in recent seasons, so an 0-3 start in league play was not what they or anyone else expected. This team could have panicked and allowed the season to crater, but it gathered its composure, fought back, and has managed to put itself above water. Now the task is to keep building and to make a run at a higher seed in the Big West Tournament, which would give the Gauchos a chance to make a run at the Big Dance in March.

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are looking for the spark UCSB recently found. The Rainbow Warriors are 2-5 in the Big West and have lost four of their last five games. The issue for Hawaii is not hard to identify: offense. This team is having trouble scoring. Hawaii has posted more than 66 points in just one of its last five games. The connection between results and a lack of consistent offense is not hard to make. Both teams urgently need this game, on Hawaii's home floor, in the late-night game on the Thursday slate.

Here are the Santa Barbara-Hawaii College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: Santa Barbara-Hawaii Odds

Santa Barbara Gauchos: +4.5 (-102)

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: -4.5 (-120)

Over: 136.5 (-110)

Under: 136.5 (-110)

How To Watch Santa Barbara vs Hawaii

Time: 11:59 pm ET / 8:59 pm PT

TV: ESPN Plus

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Santa Barbara Could Cover the Spread

The Gauchos are clearly playing better than Hawaii right now, given their run of four wins in five games compared to Hawaii's downward slide to a 2-5 Big West record. It's more than just playing better, though; what also should give bettors reason to take UCSB here is that the Gauchos have already gone through a bad patch in their season. They were not very good for a few weeks. Teams often go through bad streaks. The good teams figure out how to deal with their limitations and discover real solutions. The bad teams allow a three- or four-game losing streak to bleed into an eight- or nine-game slide. UCSB has stopped the bleeding and is therefore so much more resilient than it previously was. That resilience, in a road game against an opponent which urgently needs to win, is going to help the Gauchos in a big way.

All that aside, UCSB can lose this game by four points — to a mediocre Hawaii side which is close to .500 for the season — and still cover the spread. That has to feel like the better play in this game.

Why Hawaii Could Cover the Spread

The Rainbow Warriors are on the other side of the divide relative to UCSB. The Gauchos halted their slide. Hawaii is in the midst of one. That might seem like a reason to pick against Hawaii, not for it, but streaks are made to be broken. UCSB got out of its funk. Now it's time for Hawaii to stop its negative stretch in the 2024 season. Playing at home will help. Hawaii is due for a good game, particularly on offense.

Final Santa Barbara-Hawaii Prediction & Pick

The lean is to Santa Barbara, but neither team should be viewed as particularly reliable. Stay away and consider a live play.

Final Santa Barbara-Hawaii Prediction & Pick: Santa Barbara +4.5