| MATCHUP | CSU Northridge Matadors | Long Beach State 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 17-10 | 8-19 |
| Where | Walter Pyramid, Long Beach, CA | |
| When | Saturday, February 21, 2026 | |
| Time | 09:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Cal State Northridge Matadors and the Long Beach State Beach meet Saturday in college basketball action from Walter Pyramid. Here’s a CSU Northridge vs Long Beach State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best CSUN vs LBSU 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.
Cal State Northridge Matadors Betting Preview
The Matadors went 4-5 over their first nine with losses to Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, Idaho, Idaho State and UC Irvine. CSUN then went 6-3 over the next nine outings with wins over Fresno State, Delaware, La Sierra, Sac State, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. Victories over UC San Diego (twice) and UC Davis came in the next five games, then more wins over UC Riverside and Hawaii for a 16-10 run in the first 26 outings.
On Thursday versus UC Santa Barbara, the Matadors held a 32-27 advantage as the second half began. Cal State Northridge was outscored 49-44 from there however, and had to go to overtime. Following the extra period, CSUN emerged with an 85-83 victory on the road. Josiah Davis had 31 points with 14 rebounds and four assists. Mahmoud Fofana doubled up on 14 points with 14 rebounds as well.
Long Beach State Beach Betting Preview
Over on the Beach’s side, they were just 3-10 in the first 13 games this year, but then beat Lincoln University CA, Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, UC Riverside and CSU Northridge in the next six. Long Beach State lost to CSU Fullerton, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, Hawaii, UC San Diego, CSU Fullerton and UC Davis in the next seven games though, giving the team an 8-18 record.
Matched up against UC Irvine on Thursday the Beach were looking up at a 24-20 deficit on the scoreboard as the second half began. Long Beach State was outscored 45-38 the rest of the way and ended up falling on their home court 69-58 as the game concluded. Long Beach State was led by Gavin Sykes with 16 points and three steals while Petar Majstorovic had 13 points with 10 rebounds.
Cal State Northridge Matadors @ Long Beach State Beach Betting Trends: February 21, 2026
Why the Long Beach State Beach will win
- Cal State Northridge has lost four of its last five night games following a road win.
Why the Cal State Northridge Matadors will win
- Long Beach State has lost each of its last eight games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Cal State Northridge has won each of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Long Beach State has lost the first half in 24 of its last 30 games against the Big West Conference.
CSU Northridge vs Long Beach State Prediction
I’ll stay with CSUN. The Matadors didn’t shoot well in their tight win over UCSB this week, hitting just 38.8 percent from the field and 17.6 percent (3-of-17) from outside. Cal State Northridge did have a dominant 52-16 edge in the paint and just six turnovers though. That gives the Matadors a nice six-game win streak with 81 or more points scored in each outing.
These teams saw each other on January 17 in an 87-80 home loss for the Matadors. In that one CSU Northridge shot 40.9 percent from the field and 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from outside along with 14 turnovers. The Matadors did have advantages on the boards (35-27) and in the paint (36-32) but couldn’t overcome the mistakes. I like CSU Northridge to get some revenge in the road rematch, but they’ve got to clean up their act.