UC Irvine Anteaters vs Belmont Bruins NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/19/24

Betting on today’s Anteaters and Bruins game? Catch the action at Curb Event Center in Nashville, TN, as the Bruins hosts this showdown at 7:30 ET on ESPN+. UC Irvine is favored by -2.5 in this non-conference contest against Belmont. The game’s over/under currently sits at 152.5 points.

UC IRVINE ANTEATERS VS BELMONT BRUINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Belmont Bruins +2.5

This game will be played at Curb Event Center at 7:30 ET on Thursday, December 19th.

WHY BET THE BELMONT BRUINS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-71 in favor of the Bruins.
• Not only will Belmont pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 152.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Will the Anteaters Pull Through as the Favored Road Team?

UC Irvine Anteaters Recent Game/Games

The Anteaters dropped to 8-1 on the season after a 67-55 road loss to Oregon State on Saturday. UC Irvine entered the game as +2.5 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 122, falling short of the O/U line of 136.

UC Irvine trailed 34-30 at halftime and struggled offensively in the 2nd half, scoring just 25 points while allowing 33. The Anteaters will look to bounce back after their first loss of the season.

UC Irvine struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 55 points while shooting 37% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.6%, with two-point shooting at 41.2% (14/34) and three-point shooting at 30% (6/20).

They hit 75% of their free throws (9/12) and grabbed 7 offensive rebounds. Damarco Minor led the way with 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, hitting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. Michael Rataj added 13 points, and Parsa Fallah contributed 12 points, shooting 50% from the field.

UC Irvine’s defense gave up 67 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 46% from the field on 24 of 52 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 51% shooting, as the other team went 18 for 35 on two-point shots.

From three-point range, UC Irvine’s defense held the opposition to 35% shooting, with 6 made threes on 17 attempts. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 17 times, where they converted 13, shooting 76%. UC Irvine allowed 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

Do the Bruins Have a Shot at a Home Win?

Belmont improved to 8-2 on the season with a 93-86 win over Richmond on Saturday. The Bruins, who were -1.5 favorites, covered the spread in the victory.

Leading 40-34 at halftime, Belmont scored 53 points in the 2nd half while allowing 52. The game’s total points of 179 exceeded the O/U line of 149.5.

Belmont’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 93 points while shooting 57.9% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 70.2%, thanks in part to hitting 13 of 27 from beyond the arc, good for 48.1%.

Jonathan Pierre led the way with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, connecting on 5 of 9 from three-point range. Mike Walz and Brody Peebles were perfect from the field, each going 4 for 4, with Peebles hitting all 3 of his three-point attempts.

Belmont’s defense struggled, giving up 86 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Bruins allowed their opponent to hit 58% of their two-point attempts, with 18 makes on 31 tries.

From beyond the arc, Belmont’s opponent shot 39%, connecting on 9 of 23 three-point attempts. The Bruins also sent them to the line 29 times, where they made 23 free throws, a 79% clip. Belmont limited them to 4 offensive rebounds.