CSU Northridge vs CSU Bakersfield Prediction 3/5/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Cal State Northridge Matadors and the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners meet Thursday in college basketball action from Icardo Center. Here’s a CSU Northridge vs CSU Bakersfield prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best CSUN vs CSUB pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

CSU Northridge Matadors Betting Preview

The Matadors have had a wild season, and they weren’t looking too good back on January 24. CSU Northridge had only an 11-10 record on that date, but then they took out UC Davis, UC San Diego, Cal Poly, UC Riverside, Hawaii, UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State in the next seven outings. After losses to UC Irvine and UC Riverside the Matadors are 18-12 overall.

In the UC Riverside matchup on Saturday the Matadors left the floor in the first half with a 39-32 deficit. Cal State Northridge finished off on a 56-52 run so they didn’t end up getting any closer in a 95-84 loss on the road as the game concluded. Leading team scorer Josiah Davis had 38 points with nine rebounds and eight assists while Josh O’Garro added 16 points with seven boards.

CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners Betting Preview

Over on the CSU Bakersfield side, they were very close to the .500 mark back on January 8, as the team was sporting an 8-9 record at that time. The Roadrunners have lost to Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, Hawaii, Cal Poly, UC Davis, UC Irvine, CSU Fullerton, Hawaii, UC Riverside, CSU Fullerton, UC San Diego and Long Beach State in order since then.

Matched up against LBSU back on Saturday the Roadrunners were in the locker room looking up at a one-point deficit 44-43. After a tense second half that produced a 44-44 tie run, the Roadrunners left the court with a tough loss 88-87 on their home floor. Ronald Jessamy led the way in the losing effort with his 33 points and 11 rebounds alongside three steals and one assist.

Cal State Northridge Matadors @ Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners Betting Trends: March 5, 2026

Why the Cal State Northridge Matadors will win

• Cal State Bakersfield has lost each of its last 13 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Cal State Northridge has won eight of its last 10 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Cal State Northridge has won the first half in each of its last six night games against Cal State Bakersfield.

CSU Northridge vs CSU Bakersfield Prediction

I’ll lean toward CSU Northridge. The Matadors had a lot of trouble with a struggling UC Riverside team in their last outing, shooting just 18.8 percent (3-of-16) from outside with a reasonable 43.8 percent from the field overall. CSUN owned the boards 42-38 and had a 58-42 edge in the paint but still lost by double-digits. The Matadors have a couple of losses in the bank over the last pair but they’re still 7-2 overall in the last nine.

These teams played each other way back on December 4 in an 87-66 home win for the Matadors. In that one CSU Northridge managed to shoot a very nice 53.1 percent from the field with a 35-31 rebounding edge and a 52-26 advantage on points in the paint. That said, CSUN also hit just 13-of-25 (52 percent) at the line and had 12 turnovers. The Matadors have to get better on free throws and turnovers in the rematch but I think they’re in decent shape for a win here.

Andrew Jett's Pick: CSU Northridge Matadors -8