UC Irvine Anteaters vs UC Riverside Highlanders NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/23/25
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Anteaters versus the Highlanders? Tip off is at at 10:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at SRC Arena in Riverside, CA. UC Irvine is favored by -6.5 in this Big West conference matchup the against UC Riverside. The over/under for the game is set at 141 points.
UC IRVINE ANTEATERS VS UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: UC Riverside Highlanders +6.5
This game will be played at SRC Arena at 10:00 ET on Thursday, January 23rd.
WHY BET THE UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Highlanders.
- Not only will UC Riverside pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +6.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 141 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.
Can UC Irvine Pull Off a Road Win?
UC Irvine Anteaters Recent Game/Games
UC Irvine improved to 16-2 on the season with a dominant 101-71 win over Cal Poly on Saturday. The Anteaters, playing at home, were -14.5 point favorites and covered the spread. The game’s total points reached 172, surpassing the O/U line of 153.5.
Leading 45-35 at halftime, UC Irvine took control in the 2nd half, outscoring Cal Poly 56-36 to seal the win.
UC Irvine’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 101 points while shooting 53.1% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 59.4%, and they connected on 42.9% of their three-point attempts, hitting 9 of 21 from deep. At the free-throw line, the Anteaters were nearly perfect, converting 24 of 26 attempts for a 92.3% success rate.
Devin Tillis led the way with 21 points, shooting 77.8% from the field and adding 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Bent Leuchten, Jurian Dixon, Peter Bandelj, and Cayden Ward each contributed 15 points, with Ward also grabbing 8 rebounds. The Anteaters dished out 22 assists as a team, with Jarred Hyder leading the way with 4 assists to go along with his 12 points.
Despite UC Irvine’s efforts, they allowed 71 points on 53% shooting from the field. The Anteaters gave up 34 made field goals on 64 attempts.
Defensively, UC Irvine struggled to contain their opponent inside, allowing 25 two-point baskets on 43 attempts, a 58% shooting rate. From beyond the arc, they allowed 9 threes on 21 attempts, a 42% success rate.
Will the Highlanders Make it Happen at Home?
UC Riverside Highlanders Recent Game/Games
UC Riverside improved to 9-8 on the season with an 85-81 win over UC San Diego on Saturday. The Highlanders, who were +9.5 underdogs, not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.
Riverside led 44-35 at halftime but allowed 46 points in the second half while scoring 41. The total points for the game reached 166, going over the O/U line of 140.5.
UC Riverside’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 85 points with a field goal percentage of 50.8%. They were particularly effective inside the arc, shooting 62.5% on two-point attempts, while hitting 37% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 59.3%, and they also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, matching their assist total for the game.
Barrington Hargress led the way with 40 points, shooting 63.6% overall and 62.5% from deep (5/8). Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones added 32 points, and Nate Pickens contributed 15 points, hitting 4 of 6 from three-point range. Joel Armotrading was perfect from the field, going 5 for 5 and pulling down 14 rebounds.
UC Riverside’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 81 points on 50% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to connect on 62% of their two-point attempts, with 20 makes on 32 tries.
From beyond the arc, the Highlanders gave up 10 threes on 27 attempts, a 37% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 22 times, where they hit 15 shots, good for 68%. UC Riverside allowed 15 offensive rebounds in the game.