UC Irvine Anteaters (6-2) vs Fresno State Bulldogs (1-5)
Game Info: Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 9:00 pm (Bren Events Center)
Betting Odds: UC Irvine Anteaters -7.5 -- Over/Under: 126 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Fresno State Bulldogs will make the five-hour trip down the coast and take on the UC Irvine Anteaters from the Bren Events Center.
Fresno State comes into this one at 1-5 after a loss to Vanderbilt in the Wooden Legacy Tournament. The Bulldogs competed well once again, but couldn’t hold off the Commodores and suffered their fifth-straight loss in a row. Fresno is scoring 58.5 points per game, while shooting 39.2% from the floor, and 22.8% from three.
Fresno has struggled to put the ball in the basket this season, as offense has been hard to come by. Isaih Moore posted double-doubles versus Vandy and Washington at the Wooden Tournament, and he leads Fresno in scoring (12.7) and rebounding (8.7). Production has been scarce outside of Moore, but senior guard Jermayl Baker did go off for 22 points last time out against Vanderbilt.
UC Irvine fell to 6-2 after a road loss to San Diego State. The Anteaters nearly got out of San Diego with a victory, but a late three from the Aztecs would put them over the top. Irvine is scoring 81.5 points per game, while shooting 47.3% from the field, and 42.1% from deep.
Irvine is led by the junior backcourt pairing of DJ Davis and Dawson Baker. Davis has hit four threes in each of the past three games, and he scored a season-high 28 points in the win over SDSU. Baker has been consistent, reaching double figures in six of the first seven games. Davis leads UCI in scoring at 16.6 ppg, while Baker scores 13.5 ppg.
While Fresno State hasn’t been able to light up the scoreboard, their strength of schedule is worth noting when eyeing their 1-5 record. They should give UC Irvine a game here, and potentially slow things down to play at their pace here. The Anteaters have scored at a pretty high rate early, and while they may still have more firepower than the visitors here, the Bulldogs stingy style of play will leave it’s trace. I like the under here, with UC Irvine handing the Fresno another close defeat.