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Betting on today's Highlanders and Gauchos game? Catch the action at The Thunderdome in Santa Barbara, CA, as the Gauchos hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this Big West conference contest is set at 146.5 points, with UC Santa Barbara being favored by -4 at home against UC Riverside.

UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS VS UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS BETTING PICK

The Pick: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos -4

This game will be played at The Thunderdome at 10:00 ET on Saturday, March 9th.

WHY BET THE UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Gauchos.
  • Not only will UC Santa Barbara pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -4.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 146.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

No Pressure for UC Riverside as Away Dogs

UC Riverside enters this game with a 14-17 record, including a 9-9 mark in Big West action. They have won two straight games, and they are 3-0 in their last three road games.

On the season, the Highlanders have gone 3-12 on the road, compared to a 10-4 record at home. They are 3-14 as an underdog this year, and they have gone 3-7 in their last 10 games away from home.

UC Riverside has an ATS record of 14-15 this season and they are 6-9 vs. the spread on the road. As the underdog, the Highlanders have gone 8-9 vs. the spread this season and they are 5-5 in their last 10 games as the underdog.

So far this season, the over/under record for UC Riverside games is 16-12-1. Today's over/under line of 146.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this year (138.4). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 156 points and their over/under record in their last 10 games is 6-3-1.

In their recent matchup, the UC Riverside offense ended with 84 points against Cal State Fullerton. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 42.4% and made 8 threes. Offensively, the Highlanders have a season long field goal percentage of 39%, which is 391st in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 338th in percentage and 108th in three-pointers made.

At present, the Highlanders' defense is nationally ranked 164th, allowing 71.6 points per game. UC Riverside's three-point defense is currently 76th in the country at 6.3 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 44.5% of their shots vs. UC Riverside.

Can UC Santa Barbara Lock in a Home Win?

UC Santa Barbara comes into this game with a 16-13 overall record and a 9-10 mark in Big West play. At home, the Gauchos are 7-6 this season, and they have won two straight games.

For the season, UC Santa Barbara has been favored in 17 of its 29 games, going 9-8 in those contests. In their last outing, the Gauchos defeated Long Beach State by a score of 76-74.

UC Santa Barbara has not been a good bet at home this season, going just 3-9-1 ATS. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Gauchos have gone just 4-6 vs. the spread.

On the season, the over/under record for UC Santa Barbara games is 16-11. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1, and over their last five games, the over/under record is 4-1. Today's over/under line of 146.5 is slightly higher than the average over/under line in their games this season (145.1), and 15 of their games have finished with more points than today's line.

The Gauchos' offense wrapped up their last game with 76 points, aligning closely with their current season average of 75.5 points per contest. Ajay Mitchell is leading the team in scoring at 20 points per contest. Yohan Traore has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 14.3 going into the game.

In terms of defense, UC Santa Barbara is currently on par with the NCAA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 72.8 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, UC Santa Barbara's defense has allowed opponents to shoot 44.0% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 30.3% this season.