UC Irvine Anteaters (23-10) vs Cal State-Fullerton Titans (19-12)
Game Info: Friday, March 10, 2023 at 9:00 pm (Dollar Loan Center)
Betting Odds: UC Irvine Anteaters -2.5 -- Over/Under: 133.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: ESPN+ Stream College Basketball all season on ESPN+. Sign up now!
The Cal-State Fullerton Titans and the UC Irvine Anteaters will meet in Henderson to face off in the semifinals of the Big West Championship at the Dollar Loan Center on the ESPN+.
CSU Fullerton moved to 19-12 after defeating Hawaii in the first round. The Titans battled with the Warriors into overtime and snuck away with a two-point win, 62-60. Fullerton is scoring 69.0 points per game, while allowing 64.6 ppg, shooting 42.8% from the field.
CSUF has won nine of their last ten games, and they’ll look to advance to the conference championship game here. The Titans played through the strength of their backcourt this season. Junior guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. double-doubled in the win over Hawaii, and he’s leading Fullerton with 16.2 ppg. Max Jones has scored 18 points or more in three of the last four games, and he’s scoring 12.3 ppg.
UC Irvine moved to 23-10 after defeating CSU Bakersfield in the quarterfinals. The Anteaters jumped out to a big halftime lead, and held on to beat the Roadrunners by twenty-four points. Irvine is scoring 76.2 points per game, while allowing 66.6 ppg, and shooting 47.2% from the field.
Irvine has won eight of their last ten games, and they’ll look to avenge a one-point loss to Fullerton here. The Anteaters play through the junior backcourt pairing of DJ Davis and Dawson Baker. Davis revved things up in February, and after scoring 18 points in eight of the last ten games, he’s leading the team in scoring (15.4). Baker is scoring an identical 15.2 ppg.
Fullerton is 12-17 against the spread this season, with a 10-18-1 over/under record. Irvine is 13-14-2 ATS this year, with a 17-11-1 o/u record.
This is quietly one of the toughest matchups on the card, as both Fullerton and Irvine have been dialed in since the start of February. Both schools own a victory over each other, and both will be looking to punch their tickets to the title game. I’m big on leaning on a proven duo in these kind of spots, and I like trusting DJ Davis and Dawson Baker to bring this one home for the Anteaters. Take Irvine’s spread for this Big West semifinal.