UC-Santa Barbara vs Hawaii Prediction College Basketball Picks 1/3/25

The UCSB Gauchos are visiting the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Thursday, January 2nd at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a UCSB Gauchos vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Prediction.

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Preview

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors have an 8-5 record this season and are coming off a 73-70 win over Oakland. The Rainbow Warriors are 5-5 against the spread, and 7-3 in over/under, while having an 8-2 home record.

Offensively, Hawaii is averaging 73.2 points per game, which ranks 246th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 69.2 points per game (122nd). The Rainbow Warriors shoot 46.6% from the field (115th) and 32.7% from beyond the arc (235th). The Rainbow Warriors shoot 69.1% from the free-throw line (251st) and are grabbing 36.3 rebounds per game (188th).

Gytis Nemeiksa leads Hawaii in scoring with an average of 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds, while Marcus Greene adds 11.8 points.

UCSB Gauchos Preview

The UCSB Gauchos have an 8-5 record this season and are coming off an 89-72 win over Westcliff. The Gauchos are 5-6 against the spread, and 3-8 in over/under while having a 2-3 road record.

Offensively, UCSB is averaging 76.2 points per game, which ranks 171st in the nation. Defensively, they allow 64.9 points per game (40th). The Gauchos shoot 48.7% from the field (46th) and 37.8% from beyond the arc (44th). The Gauchos shoot 72.9% from the free-throw line (138th) and are grabbing 37.2 rebounds per game (148th).  

Kenny Pohto leads UCSB in scoring this season, with an average of 12.9 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds, while Deuce Turner adds 12.2 points. UCSB will take on CSU Bakersfield after this game.

Why the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will win

• Hawaii has won 14 of its last 15 games at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• UC Santa Barbara has lost each of its last four games against the Big West Conference.
• Hawaii has won the first half in each of its last four games against the Big West Conference at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Why the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos will win

• UC Santa Barbara has won eight of its last nine games against Hawaii.
• Hawaii has lost three of its last four games following a home win.
• UC Santa Barbara has won the first half in each of its last seven night games at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Total Points Facts

• Each of UC Santa Barbara’s last seven night games against the Big West Conference has produced a total of 145+ points.
• Six of Hawaii’s last seven games against Conference opponents at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center have produced a total of 138+ points.

Matchup/League Facts

• Hawaii ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for opponent rebounds per game this season (28.1).
• Hawaii ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point field goal attempts per game this season (16.3).
• UC Santa Barbara ranks T23rd among Division 1 teams for opponent blocks per game this season (2.2).
• UC Santa Barbara ranks 29th among Division 1 teams for effective field goal percentage this season (57.1%).

UCSB Gauchos vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Prediction

UCSB is 7-1 in their last 8 meetings against Hawaii, and are 7-2 against the spread in their last 9 meetings. Over is 4-0 in their last 4 meetings, and in their most recent meeting last season, UCSB won 77-71 at home. In this UCSB Gauchos vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Prediction, Hawaii is coming as -2.5 home favorites. UCSB is better both offensively, scoring 3 points more than Hawaii, and defensively, allowing 3.3 points less. The Rainbow Warriors are winning by an average of 4 points this season, while the Gauchos are winning by 11.3 points. UCSB has the 40th-best defense in the nation, combined with elite shooting percentages, as they rank in the top 50 of the nation both in field goal and in 3-point percentage. The edge in this matchup lies with the road team, so take the UCSB Gauchos and lay the points on the road.