UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/2/25

Betting on today’s Gauchos and Rainbow Warriors game? Catch the action at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI, as the Rainbow Warriors hosts this showdown at 11:59 ET on ESPN+. This Big West conference matchup has an over/under of 136.5 points, and Hawaii is favored to win by -2.5 at home vs. UC Santa Barbara.

UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS VS HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors -2.5

This game will be played at Stan Sheriff Center at 11:59 ET on Thursday, January 2nd.

WHY BET THE HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Rainbow Warriors.
• Not only will Hawaii pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 136.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog UC Santa Barbara?

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Recent Game/Games

The Gauchos dropped to 6-5 on the season after a 68-56 road loss to Missouri State on Sunday, December 22nd. UCSB entered the game as +1 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 31-25 at halftime, UCSB allowed 37 points in the 2nd half while scoring 31. The combined points of 124 fell short of the 137.5 O/U line.

In their last game, UC Santa Barbara managed just 56 points, shooting 41.7% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 47.9%. They hit 33.3% from beyond the arc, connecting on 6 of 18 attempts, and went 10 for 16 from the free-throw line, shooting 62.5%.

Dez White led the Gauchos with 26 points, hitting 3 of 5 from three-point range at 60.0%. Kenny Pohto added 20 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 61.5% from the field. UCSB recorded 9 assists and 7 offensive rebounds in the game.

Despite giving up 68 points, UC Santa Barbara’s defense struggled to contain their opponent, who shot 48% from the field. The Gauchos allowed 22 made field goals on 45 attempts.

From beyond the arc, their opponent hit 6 of 13 threes, shooting 46%. UC Santa Barbara also sent them to the line 24 times, where they converted 18 free throws at a 75% rate.

Will the Rainbow Warriors Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

Hawaii improved to 6-4 on the season with a 73-70 win over Oakland on Wednesday. The Rainbow Warriors were favored by 3.5 points going into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 143, which went over the pre-game line of 134.

Hawaii led 32-25 at halftime but allowed 39 points in the second half while scoring 32 of their own. Despite the win, the Rainbow Warriors will need to tighten up defensively in future games.

Hawaii managed 73 points in their latest game, shooting just 39% from the field and 22.7% from three-point range, hitting 5 of 22 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.1%, and they were 48.6% on two-point shots, converting 18 of 37.

Malcolm Christie led the way with 27 points, despite shooting 8 of 24 overall and 7 of 22 from deep. Gytis Nemeiksa added 25 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 42.9% from the field and 40% from three. Hawaii also grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and dished out 14 assists, with a 75.9% mark from the free-throw line, hitting 22 of 29 attempts.

Hawaii’s defense gave up 70 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 39% from the field on 23/59 shooting. Inside the arc, they allowed 18/37 shooting for 48%.

From three-point range, Hawaii held the other team to 5/22 shooting, or 22%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 29 times, where they made 22 free throws for 75%. Hawaii allowed 16 offensive rebounds.