UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs Loyola Marymount Lions NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/18/24

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Gauchos versus the Lions? Tip off is at at 10:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Loyola Marymount as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 141.5 points.

UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS VS LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Loyola Marymount Lions -1.5

This game will be played at Gersten Pavilion at 10:00 ET on Wednesday, December 18th.

WHY BET THE LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-72 in favor of the Lions.
• Not only will Loyola Marymount pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -1.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 141.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Are the Gauchos Ready for a Win at Los Angeles?

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Recent Game/Games

The Gauchos improved to 6-3 on the season with an 83-66 win over Green Bay on Saturday. Playing at home, UCSB entered the game as -13.5 point favorites and covered the spread with the victory.

After trailing 31-27 at halftime, UCSB turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Green Bay 56-35. The total points for the game was 149, just under the 152 O/U line.

UC Santa Barbara put up 83 points in their latest game, shooting 45.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.1%. They hit 57.9% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 30.3% of their threes (10/33).

The Gauchos dished out 19 assists and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. Deuce Turner led the way with 23 points, hitting 3 of 7 from deep, while Kenny Pohto added 19 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 69.2% from the floor.

UC Santa Barbara’s defense gave up 66 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 45% from the field. The Gauchos allowed 32 made field goals on 71 attempts.

Inside the arc, opponents shot 57%, hitting 22 of 38 two-point attempts. From three-point range, they went 10/33, shooting 30%. UC Santa Barbara also sent them to the line 12 times, where they made 9 free throws, a 75% rate. The Gauchos gave up 13 offensive rebounds.

Will the Lions Find a Way to Win at Home?

Loyola Marymount improved to 4-4 on the season with a narrow 76-75 win over Prairie View A&M on Saturday. The Lions were heavy favorites at -18.5 going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 151, falling short of the O/U line of 159.

After trailing 32-32 at halftime, LMU scored 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 43 to the Panthers. Despite the win, the Lions will look to tighten things up as they move forward.

Loyola Marymount put up 76 points in their last game, shooting 48.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.8%. They connected on 56.7% of their two-point attempts (17/30) and hit 36.4% from beyond the arc (8/22). At the free-throw line, they made 72%, going 18/25.

Will Johnston led the way with 23 points, hitting 4 of 7 from deep, while Nick Anderson added 20 points despite missing all 4 of his three-point attempts. Jevon Porter struggled from the field, shooting just 2 of 11, but contributed 12 rebounds and 9 assists. The Lions finished with 19 assists and 11 offensive rebounds as a team.

Despite giving up 75 points, Loyola Marymount’s defense couldn’t slow down the opposition, who shot 48% from the field, including 56% on two-point attempts. They also allowed 8 threes on 22 attempts, a 36% success rate.

The Lions sent the other team to the line 25 times, where they converted 18 free throws, shooting 72%. Loyola Marymount also gave up 11 offensive rebounds in this game.