Thursday's Big West Conference game pits the Cal State Northridge Matadors (3-15) against the UCSB Gauchos (14-3) at the Thunderdome in Santa Barbara, California. Hawaii defeated the Matadors 58-51 on Monday, and since then, the Matadors have dropped all seven of their previous games and ten of their previous eleven.
On Monday, the Gauchos defeated UC Irvine 73–65. The Gauchos' sole loss in their last 11 games was against UC Riverside. There are no players on either the Matadors' or the Gauchos' injury lists.
Cal State Northridge vs UCSB Betting Odds
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Cal State Northridge vs UCSB Match Details
Fixture: Cal State Northridge Matadors at UCSB Gauchos
Date and Time: Thursday, January 19 at 10:00 PM ET
Venue: UC Santa Barbara Events Center, Isla Vista, California
Cal State Northridge vs UCSB Key Stats
Only 64.4 points are scored by the Matadors on average per game. The Matadors rank 341st and 298th, respectively, in field goal shooting percentage (40.4%) and three-point shooting percentage (31.6%). The opponents are shooting 41.3% overall and 31.2% from outside the arc, while the Matadors are surrendering 66.8 points per game.
The Matadors are leading the nation in rebounding with 34.6 per game, led by De'Sean Allen-Eikens' average of 5.8 boards per game. Wright leads the roster in steals with an average of 1.3 per game, while Allen-Eikens leads in blocked shots with an average of 0.6 per game.
The Gauchos rank 30th in the US in scoring defense with an average of just 62.6 points per game. They are ranked 151st and 256th in terms of their opponents' field goal and three-point shooting defense, respectively, with respective percentages of 42.5% and 34.5%.
The Gauchos offense averages 70.7 points per game. Their 48.8% field goal shooting rate ranks them 18th in the nation, while their 221st-best 33.3% three-point shooting percentage They commit 13.3 turnovers and 13.9 assists a game, on average. Andre Kelly averages 6.7 rebounds per game, which makes him the Gauchos' top rebounder.
Cal State Northridge vs UCSB Betting Prediction
With a record of 14-3, the Gauchos are performing admirably and have won seven of their previous nine games against the spread. They have won 10 of their last 11 games thanks to their excellent defense, which limits opponents to 62.6 points per contest.
The Matadors, in comparison, play good defense but have trouble scoring as they average only 64.4 points per game and shoot just 40.4% from the field. They managed to cover the spread against Hawaii in their most recent game, but failed to do so in each of their prior six games and eight of their previous nine. Take the home team to cover the spread in this one.
Pick: UCSB Gauchos -16.5 (-110)
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