UC Riverside Highlanders vs UC Irvine Anteaters NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25
Betting on today’s Highlanders and Anteaters game? Catch the action at Bren Events Center in Irvine, CA, as the Anteaters hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 141.5 points, and UC Irvine is favored by -10.5 vs. UC Riverside in a Big West conference matchup.
UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS VS UC IRVINE ANTEATERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: UC Riverside Highlanders +10.5
This game will be played at Bren Events Center at 10:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.
WHY BET THE UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Anteaters.
- Even though we have UC Irvine winning straight-up, we like UC Riverside at +10.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 141.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Will UC Riverside Be The Talk of Bren Events Center?
UC Riverside improved to 8-5 on the season with a 76-60 road win over Long Beach State on Thursday. The Highlanders entered the game as -3.5 favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 136 fell just short of the O/U line of 138.
Riverside led 38-32 at halftime and maintained their momentum in the 2nd half, scoring another 38 points while holding Long Beach State to 28 points.
UC Riverside put up 76 points in their last game, shooting 44.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.2%. They hit 54.1% of their two-point attempts and went 10-for-30 from beyond the arc, shooting 33.3% from three-point range. At the free-throw line, they connected on 6 of 7 attempts, good for 85.7%.
Isaiah Moses led the way with 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting, while Nate Pickens added 19 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 58.3% from the field. Devin Askew contributed 17 points and 5 assists, hitting 7 of 10 shots. The Highlanders grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 10 assists as a team.
UC Riverside’s defense held their opponent to 60 points, allowing them to shoot 43% from the field on 23 of 53 attempts. Inside the arc, the Highlanders gave up 20 two-point baskets on 42 attempts, a 47% shooting rate.
From three-point range, UC Riverside limited their opponent to just 3 made threes on 11 attempts, a 27% shooting performance. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 13 times, where they converted 11 free throws for 84%. The Highlanders allowed 5 offensive rebounds.
Is It the Anteaters Game to Lose at Home?
UC Irvine Anteaters Recent Game/Games
UC Irvine improved to 11-2 on the season with a 98-89 win over Cal Poly on Thursday. The Anteaters, who were -8.5 favorites, covered the spread in the victory.
Leading 49-38 at halftime, UC Irvine’s defense allowed Cal Poly to score 42 points in the 2nd half, while the Anteaters managed 31 points. The game’s total points of 187 exceeded the over/under line of 158.5.
UC Irvine put up 98 points in their last game, shooting 44% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.7%, with a 51.8% success rate on two-point attempts. From beyond the arc, the Anteaters struggled, hitting just 4 of 19 threes (21.1%).
At the free-throw line, UC Irvine was impressive, connecting on 28 of 31 attempts (90.3%). Devin Tillis led the way with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Bent Leuchten added 24 points and 11 boards. Myles Che contributed 22 points, shooting 56.2% from the field.
Despite giving up 89 points, UC Irvine’s defense managed to hold their opponent to 41% shooting from the field, with 34 made baskets on 83 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 21 two-point field goals on 39 attempts, resulting in a 53% shooting percentage.
From beyond the arc, UC Irvine’s defense gave up 13 three-pointers on 44 attempts, with their opponent shooting 29% from three-point range. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 11 times, where they converted 8 of those attempts, shooting 72%. UC Irvine allowed 16 offensive rebounds in the game.