It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a UC Irvine UC San Diego prediction and pick. Find out how to watch UC Irvine UC San Diego.
There are lots of big games on the day before Selection Sunday. This game is part of the college hoops feast on Saturday.
UC San Diego probably needs to win this game to make the NCAA Tournament, but if the Tritons lose, they might get some consideration as an at-large team. Yes, we know that the big-money power conference schools usually get the benefit of the doubt over the mid-majors in bubble debates, so we are not saying it is likely that UC San Diego will get in over Texas or North Carolina or Indiana. However, this is a year in which the bubble has been very weak. Texas is sitting there with 15 losses. UC San Diego won the Big West in dominant fashion this season and has reached the tournament final. UCSD certainly has a case to make in a head-to-head comparison with Texas and other mediocre bubble teams which did not make a strong, convincing final argument. We can say this much: Bubble teams want UC San Diego to win to remove any bubble drama from the equation in the Big West. Bubble teams need the conference champions and the likely NCAA Tournament teams to hold serve on Saturday so that the size of the bubble cannot shrink before the selection show.
Here are the UC Irvine-UC San Diego College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
Big West Tournament Odds: UC Irvine-UC San Diego Odds
UC Irvine: +5.5 (-104)
Moneyline: +202
UC San Diego: -5.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -250
Over: 134.5 (-114)
Under: 134.5 (-106)
How to Watch UC Irvine vs UC San Diego
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN2
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why UC Irvine Will Cover The Spread/Win
UC Irvine is a good, tough team led by head coach Russell Turner, one of the best in the business. Turner is a great game-plan coach and a defense-first coach who makes the game hard for his opponent. UC San Diego is probably going to win the game, but the spread is an entirely different question. These are two good teams going at it in a championship game. The intensity will likely be through the roof. This feels like a last-minute type of game which will probably be decided by fewer than six points. We think the spread should be 3.5 points instead of 5.5. UC San Diego is getting due respect, but Irvine is not getting enough respect. You could fold UCSD moneyline into a parlay, but you could make a single bet on Irvine plus the points as part of your betting strategy on this college basketball Saturday.
Why UC San Diego Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Tritons have been the best team in the Big West all season. The gap between UCSD and Irvine isn’t massive, but it’s there — it exists. When it’s time for this game to be decided, UCSD is likely to make the winning plays. Also consider the point that UCSD has been an excellent second-half team. The Tritons have developed a knack for second-half surges, a lot like St John’s in the Big East Conference. The Big West champs are the better team, and that’s the simple reason to back them here.
Final UC Irvine-UC San Diego Prediction & Pick
We think UCSD wins, but we lean to Irvine on the spread. Maybe wait until midway through the second half to make a live play.
Final UC Irvine-UC San Diego Prediction & Pick: UC Irvine +5.5
The post UC Irvine vs UC San Diego prediction, odds, pick for Big West Tournament Final appeared first on ClutchPoints.
