UC Riverside Highlanders vs CSUN Matadors NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/5/24

Planning on watching today’s Highlanders and Matadors game? Catch the action at Premier America Credit Union in Northridge, CA, as the Matadors hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this Big West conference game currently have CSUN as the -5.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 150.5 points.

UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS VS CSUN MATADORS BETTING PICK

The Pick: CSUN Matadors -5.5

This game will be played at Premier America Credit Union at 10:00 ET on Thursday, December 5th.

WHY BET THE CSUN MATADORS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-69 in favor of the Matadors.
• Not only will CSUN pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 150.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Will the Highlanders Defense Show Up on the Road?

UC Riverside Highlanders Recent Game/Games

UC Riverside fell to 3-4 on the season after an 80-68 road loss to Idaho on Saturday. The Highlanders, who entered the game as -3.5 favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 39-27 at halftime, Riverside scored 41 points in the 2nd half but allowed Idaho to match that output. The game’s total points of 148 exceeded the O/U line of 142.

Kristian Gonzalez led UC Riverside with 25 points, hitting 5 threes at 45.5% in their last game. Kolton Mitchell added 16 points and 5 assists, shooting 50% from deep.

The Highlanders hit 9 threes at 42.9%, with an effective field goal percentage of 52.6%. They shot 43.9% overall, with 12 offensive rebounds and 10 assists.

UC Riverside’s defense gave up 80 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 47% from the field. They allowed 28 made field goals on 59 attempts.

From two-point range, the opposition shot 68%, hitting 15 of 22 shots. From beyond the arc, they went 13/37, shooting 35%. They also made 11 of 14 free throws, good for 78%.

Will CSUN Make it Happen at Home?

CSUN Matadors Recent Game/Games

The Matadors improved to 5-2 on the season with a 72-69 road win over Montana State on Saturday. CSUN entered the game as +4.5 point underdogs and covered the spread with the victory.

CSUN trailed 36-35 at halftime but held the Bobcats to 28 points in the 2nd half while scoring 29 of their own. The game’s total points of 141 fell short of the 152.5 O/U line.

CSUN’s offense put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 44.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 49.2%. They hit 52.6% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 30.4% of their threes (7/23). At the free-throw line, they shot 61.1%, making 11 of 18 attempts.

Max Agbonkpolo and Marcus Adams Jr. each scored 21 points, with Adams hitting 5 of 9 threes (55.6%). Agbonkpolo went 3 for 8 from deep, while Tyler Patterson added 4 threes, shooting 50% from beyond the arc. Keonte Jones contributed 11 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, along with 6 assists.

CSUN’s defense held their opponent to 69 points on 37% shooting from the field, including 46% from two-point range, where they made 13 of 28 attempts.

From beyond the arc, the opposition shot 30%, hitting 10 of 33 threes. CSUN also sent them to the line 19 times, where they converted 13 free throws for 68%. The Matadors gave up 8 offensive rebounds.