Long Beach State vs Pepperdine Prediction College Basketball Picks 12/19/24

The Long Beach State Beach and the Pepperdine Waves meet Thursday in college basketball action from Firestone Fieldhouse. Here’s a Long Beach State vs Pepperdine prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Long Beach State vs Pepperdine pick. We will examine:

The Long Beach State Beach’s recent form and player performance

The Pepperdine Waves’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Long Beach State Beach

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Pepperdine Waves

Recent betting trends in games played between Long Beach State and Pepperdine

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Long Beach State vs Pepperdine game

Long Beach State Beach Betting Preview

Long Beach State got off to a 1-8 start with losses to South Dakota State, San Francisco, Portland, Gonzaga, Fresno State, UNC Greensboro, UTEP, and San Jose State. It’s been wins over CSU Fullerton, Hawaii, and San Diego since then, though.

In the San Diego game, the Beach came out of halftime with a three-point advantage. LBSU hit that margin again in the second with a 43-40 run and took the win 76-70. Kam Martin was the leading team scorer with 25 points and three boards.

Pepperdine Waves Betting Preview

Over on the Waves’ side, they lost to UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UNLV, Northwestern, CSU Fullerton, and Weber State during a rough 2-6 start. Pepperdine has since beaten Life Pacific, Grambling, and Northern Arizona in the last trio.

Pepperdine was up 44-42 at halftime on Saturday versus Northern Arizona. The Waves held off the Lumberjacks on a 42-34 finish and took the win 86-76. Boubacar Coulibaly led the way on 22 points and four rebounds with three assists.

Why the Pepperdine Waves will win

• Long Beach State has lost nine of its last 10 road games against the West Coast Conference.
• Pepperdine has won five of its last six games against non-conference opponents at Firestone Fieldhouse.
• Long Beach State has lost the first half in each of its last six Thursday games against non-conference opponents.

Why the Long Beach State Beach will win

• Pepperdine has lost eight of its last nine games against the Big West Conference.
• Long Beach State has won each of its last three games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Long Beach State has won the first half in each of its last three games.

Long Beach State vs Pepperdine Prediction

I’ll lean toward Pepperdine I suppose. You could probably argue this one either way, though. The Waves took care of a decent Northern Arizona team in their last outing thanks to 54.2 percent shooting and 21 team assists. This three-game win streak has been great for Pepperdine; they’ve hit 85 or more points in each of those victories.

As for LBSU, they notched a scorching 58.1 percent from the field in their latest win over San Diego. The Beach are scoring well during their own three-game win streak, with 73 or more in each game. This one’s got the makings of a high total if both teams keep their current trajectories. In the end, I like the Waves on the cover, though.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Pepperdine Waves -6