Utah Valley Wolverines vs California Baptist Lancers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/23/25

Betting on today’s Wolverines and Lancers game? Catch the action at Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center in Riverside, CA, as the Lancers hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPNU. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 140 points, and California Baptist is favored by -2.5 to win at home against Utah Valley.

UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES VS CALIFORNIA BAPTIST LANCERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: California Baptist Lancers -2.5

This game will be played at Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center at 10:00 ET on Thursday, January 23rd.

WHY BET THE CALIFORNIA BAPTIST LANCERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-71 in favor of the Lancers.
• Not only will California Baptist pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 140 points, and we like the over with a projected 148 points.

Does Utah Valley Have What it Takes on the Road?

Utah Valley improved to 11-6 on the season with a 96-80 win over Utah Tech on Saturday. The Wolverines, who were favored by 13.5 points, covered the spread at home.

After trailing 42-40 at halftime, Utah Valley turned things around in the second half, outscoring Utah Tech 56-38. The game’s total points of 176 exceeded the over/under line of 140.5.

Utah Valley’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 96 points while shooting 55.2% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 62.1%, with strong performances both inside and outside the arc. They connected on 61.5% of their two-point attempts and hit 42.1% from three-point range, making 8 of 19 shots from deep.

The Wolverines also excelled at the free-throw line, converting 77.4% of their attempts (24/31), and they dominated the glass with 15 offensive rebounds. Their ball movement was a key factor, as they dished out 25 assists in the game. Tanner Toolson and Noa Gonsalves led the way with 18 points each, while Beon Riley added 16 points, shooting 70% from the field.

Utah Valley’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 80 points while allowing the opposition to shoot 55% from the field. The Wolverines had a tough time defending inside, as their opponent hit 61% of their two-point attempts, going 24/39.

From beyond the arc, Utah Valley’s defense allowed 8 threes on 19 attempts, a 42% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 31 times, where they converted 24 free throws at a 77% rate. The Wolverines also gave up 15 offensive rebounds.

Can the Lancers Pull Off a Home Win?

The Lancers evened their record at 9-9 with a 60-54 road win over Abilene Christian on Saturday. Favored by 1 point going into the game, California Baptist not only picked up the win but also covered the spread.

After trailing 28-24 at halftime, the Lancers turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring the Wildcats 36-26. The game’s total points of 114 fell well short of the O/U line of 140.5.

California Baptist struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 60 points with a field goal percentage of 40.8%. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.9%, and they hit only 4 of 17 from beyond the arc, shooting 23.5% from three-point range. The Lancers did manage to connect on 76.2% of their free throws, going 16 for 21 from the line.

Dominique Daniels Jr. led the team with 17 points, despite shooting just 31.2% overall and 16.7% from three. Adam Moussa contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds, adding 4 assists as well. The Lancers finished with only 5 assists as a team, while grabbing 10 offensive rebounds.

California Baptist put on a defensive clinic, holding their opponent to just 54 points on 34% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective inside the arc, where they limited the opposition to 36% shooting on 41 two-point attempts.

From three-point range, California Baptist’s defense was equally stingy, allowing only 4 made threes on 14 attempts, a 28% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 12 for 57%.