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The Santa Barbara Gauchos take on the UC Irvine Anteaters. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Santa Barbara UC Irvine prediction and pick. Find how to watch Santa Barbara UC Irvine.
The Santa Barbara Gauchos are struggling to reach the .500 mark in the Big West Conference. That is one of the quiet shockers of this college basketball season. UCSB has been a contender in the Big West in recent years, so the fact that this team is stuck in the middle of the conference and will be a lower seed in the Big West Tournament is a real surprise. On one hand, no one would seemingly want to play this team in the quarterfinals of the Big West tourney. UCSB has a star guard, Ajay Mitchell, who scores roughly 20 points per game and shoots almost 50 percent from the floor. With a high-quality leader like that, one would think UCSB would be a lot better than it has been, but the pieces simply haven't come together for this Santa Barbara team, which is trying to play spoiler against UC Irvine, the team which has delivered the goods in the Big West by winning 12 of 14 league games. The Gauchos are trying to craft a late-season surge, while the Anteaters are simply trying to continue to do what they have been doing for the better part of the past two months: win.
Here are the Santa Barbara-UC Irvine College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Santa Barbara-UC Irvine Odds
Santa Barbara Gauchos: +8.5 (-102)
UC Irvine Anteaters: -8.5 (-120)
Over: 142.5 (-115)
Under: 142.5 (-105)
How To Watch Santa Barbara vs UC Irvine
Time: 11:00 pm ET / 8:00 pm PT
TV: ESPNU
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Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Santa Barbara Could Cover the Spread
The Gauchos are clearly not playing up to the standard they set for themselves before the season began. No one can dispute that point. However, this is a team which has an elite scorer — Ajay Mitchell — and can ride his back late in the season. Santa Barbara definitely wants to begin playing well before the Big West Tournament so that it can develop a little confidence and rhythm. The Gauchos are surely disappointed by how poorly they have played in the Big West this season, but they also know that as long as they win the Big West Tournament and get the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, that's all anyone will ever remember. Ramping up for the Big West tourney and giving the top team in the conference, Irvine, a real battle will be very important for this team. Irvine, on the other hand, knows that being healthy and rested for that Big West Tournament is extremely valuable. You might not see Irvine play with nearly as much desperation in this game as UCSB will. That, plus the fact that the spread is 8.5 points and not a smaller number, gives UCSB a real chance to cover the number here.
Why UC Irvine Could Cover the Spread
The UC Irvine Anteaters and head coach Russell Turner have set a consistently high standard in the Big West. This is a team worth trusting. This is a proven group which has answered every challenge in the Big West in 2024. The Anteaters are playing at home against a struggling UCSB side which has failed to create consistency and reliability this season.
Final Santa Barbara-UC Irvine Prediction & Pick
There is an uneasy feeling that UCSB might really get up for this game while Irvine lacks something to prove. However, that is merely a hunch. It's probably best to stay away from this game altogether.
Final Santa Barbara-UC Irvine Prediction & Pick: Santa Barbara +8.5
