Hawai'i (14-11) vs Cal Irvine (21-4)
February 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: Hawai'i +5.5 — Over/Under: 138.5
The UC-Irvine Anteaters are visiting the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday, February 15th 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 UC-Irvine Anteaters vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Prediction. We will examine:
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors’ recent form and player performance
The UC-Irvine Anteaters’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UC-Irvine Anteaters
Recent betting trends in games played between the UC-Irvine Anteaters and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the UC-Irvine Anteaters vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors game
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Preview
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors have a 14-11 record this season and are sitting in 7th place in the Big West. They are coming off a 62-60 win over Long Beach State. The Rainbow Warriors are 10-12-1 against the spread, and 11-11-1 in over/under while having a 12-5 home record.
Offensively, Hawaii is averaging 72 points per game, which ranks 248th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 70.4 points per game (141st). The Rainbow Warriors shoot 46.1% from the field (106th) and 33.2% from beyond the arc (224th). The Rainbow Warriors shoot 72.7% from the free-throw line (156th) and are grabbing 35.8 rebounds per game (161st).
Gytis Nemeiksa leads Hawaii in scoring with an average of 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, while Tanner Christensen adds 11.1 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game.
UC-Irvine Anteaters Preview
The UC Irvine Anteaters have a 21-4 record this season and are sitting in first place in the Big West. They are coming off a 62-60 win over UCSB. The Anteaters are 15-9 against the spread, and 10-14 in over/under while having a 9-3 road record.
Offensively, UC-Irvine is averaging 75.2 points per game, which ranks 156th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 65.7 points per game (37th). The Anteaters shoot 44.7% from the field (190th) and 35% from beyond the arc (118th). The Anteaters shoot 80.2% from the free-throw line, which is the 5th-best in the nation, and are grabbing 39.2 rebounds per game (28th).
Bent Leuchten leads UC-Irvine in scoring with an average of 15.6 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds, while Devin Tillis adds 13.7 points and 8 rebounds per game.
Why the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will win
- Hawaii has won each of its last nine Saturday night games at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
- UC Irvine has lost three of its last four games at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
- Hawaii has won the first half in each of its last eight Saturday home games against the Big West Conference.
Why the UC Irvine Anteaters will win
- UC Irvine has won 14 of its last 15 road night games against the Big West Conference.
- Hawaii has lost four of its last five games following a home win.
- UC Irvine has won the first half in each of its last six games against Hawaii.
Matchup/League Facts
- Hawaii ranks 4th among Division 1 teams for opponent rebounds per game this season (29.1).
- Hawaii ranks 360th among Division 1 teams for steals per game this season (3.8).
- UC Irvine ranks 5th among Division 1 teams for free throw percentage this season (80.2%).
- UC Irvine ranks 5th among Division 1 teams for opponent free throws made per game this season (9.4).
UC-Irvine Anteaters vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Prediction
UC-Irvine is 5-1 in their last 6 meetings against Hawaii and is 5-1 against the spread. Over is 4-2 in their last 6 meetings, and in their most recent meeting earlier this season, UC-Irvine won 71-55 at home, covering the spread, as the game went under the point total.
In this UC-Irvine Anteaters vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Prediction, UC-Irvine is coming as a -5.5 road favorites. UC-Irvine is rightfully favored, as they have a better record this season, and have been the third-best road team in the nation. Hawaii has also been very strong at home, but is just 3-6-1 against the spread in their last 10 games, while UC Irvine is 8-2 in their last 10 games. The Anteaters have been dominating the Rainbow Warriors in recent years, including a 16-point home victory earlier this season. The value here lies with the road team, so pick the UC-Irvine Anteaters and lay the points on the road.