Cal Irvine (17-3) vs Hawai'i (12-7)
January 25, 2025 at 10:00 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: Cal Irvine -11 — Over/Under: 138.5
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are visiting the UC-Irvine Anteaters on Saturday, January 25th at the Bren Events Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs UC-Irvine Anteaters Prediction. We will examine:
The UC-Irvine Anteaters’ recent form and player performance
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UC-Irvine Anteaters
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Recent betting trends in games played between Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and UC-Irvine Anteaters
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs UC-Irvine Anteaters game
UC-Irvine Anteaters Preview
The UC Irvine Anteaters have a 17-3 record this season and are sitting in the first place in the Big West. They are coming off an 80-84 loss to UC Riverside. The Anteaters are 14-5 against the spread, and 7-12 in over/under while having a 6-0 home record.
Offensively, UC-Irvine is averaging 76.4 points per game, which ranks 138th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 65.1 points per game (33rd). The Anteaters shoot 45% from the field (173rd) and 33.8% from beyond the arc (193rd). The Anteaters shoot 80.2% from the free-throw line, which is the 6th-best in the nation, and are grabbing 40 rebounds per game (25th).
Bent Leuchten leads UC-Irvine in scoring with an average of 16 points and a team-high 9.1 rebounds, while Devin Tillis adds 13.7 points and 7.9 rebounds.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Preview
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors have a 12-7 record this season and are sitting in 7th place in the Big West. They are coming off a 66-68 loss to UC Davis. The Rainbow Warriors are 8-8-1 against the spread, and 10-7 in over/under while having a 2-3 road record.
Offensively, Hawaii is averaging 73.3 points per game, which ranks 222nd in the nation. Defensively, they allow 70.1 points per game (142nd). The Rainbow Warriors shoot 47% from the field (80th) and 33% from beyond the arc (229th). The Rainbow Warriors shoot 73.3% from the free-throw line (127th) and are grabbing 35.8 rebounds per game (170th).
Gytis Nemeiksa leads Hawaii in scoring with an average of 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds, while Tanner Christensen adds 11.5 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds.
Why the UC Irvine Anteaters will win
- UC Irvine has won each of its last 20 games at Bren Events Center.
- Hawaii has lost each of its last five games at Bren Events Center.
- UC Irvine has won the first half in eight of its last nine games against the Big West Conference at Bren Events Center.
Why the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will win
- Hawaii has won each of its last six Saturday night games.
- Hawaii has won the first half in eight of its last nine Saturday games against the Big West Conference.
Matchup/League Facts
- UC Irvine ranks 5th among Division 1 teams for opponent free throws made per game this season (9.3).
- UC Irvine ranks 5th among Division 1 teams for opponent free throw attempts per game this season (12.9).
- Hawaii ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for opponent assists per game this season (8.7).
- Hawaii ranks 363rd among Division 1 teams for steals per game this season (3.5).
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs UC-Irvine Anteaters Head-to-Head
UC-Irvine is 7-3 in their last 10 meetings against Hawaii and is 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 meetings. Over is 4-1 in their last 5 meetings, and in their most recent meeting last season, UC-Irvine won 93-68 at home, covering the spread, as the game went over the point total.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs UC-Irvine Anteaters Prediction
In this Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs UC-Irvine Anteaters Prediction, UC-Irvine is coming as -11 home favorites. UC-Irvine are rightfully favored, as they have a better record this season, and are better both offensively and defensively than Hawaii. The Anteaters are 7-1 against the spread in their last 8 games, while the Rainbow Warriors are 1-2-1 against the spread in their last 4. I expect the hosts to get the job done in this game, so take the UC-Irvine Anteaters and lay the points at home.