Towson (4-3) vs UC Irvine (6-0)
Game Info: Saturday, November 30, 2024 at 9:30 pm (ENMAX Centre)
The Line: Betting Odds: Towson +9.5 / UC Irvine -9.5 — Over/Under: 129.5
The UC Irvine Anteaters and the Towson Tigers meet Saturday in college basketball action from VisitLethbridge.com Arena. Here’s a UC Irvine vs Towson prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UC Irvine vs Towson pick. We will examine:
The UC Irvine Anteaters’ recent form and player performance
The Towson Tigers’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UC Irvine Anteaters
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Towson Tigers
Recent betting trends in games played between UC Irvine and Towson
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the UC Irvine vs Towson game
UC Irvine Anteaters Betting Preview
The Anteaters got off to a nice start this year. UC Irvine notched wins in each of their first six games over Chapman, LMU, Northern Iowa, Pepperdine, Weber State, and Kennesaw State in succession.
Matched up against Kent State for game seven on Friday night, the Anteaters went into the locker room up 23-16 after a low-scoring first half. UC Irvine posted another 28 points from there in a 51-39 win. Bent Leuchten led the team with 17 points and eight rebounds.
Towson Tigers Betting Preview
Over on the Towson side, they lost two of their first three games to St. Mary’s and South Carolina around a lone win over Wilkes-Barre. After wins over James Madison, Nicholls, and Morgan State in the next three the Tigers lost to Kent State on Thanksgiving.
In their Friday game versus Kennesaw State, the Tigers came back from a 35-29 halftime deficit and forced overtime but eventually lost a tough one 67-63. Leading team scorer Jamil Miller put up 18 points with seven rebounds in the defeat.
Why the Kent State Golden Flashes will win
- Kent State has won each of its last five games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the UC Irvine Anteaters will win
- UC Irvine has won each of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Kent State has lost the first half in three of its last four night games played at neutral venues.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Kent State’s last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue have produced a total of 133 or fewer points.
- Fifteen of UC Irvine’s last 18 games against non-AP-ranked opponents have produced a total of 137+ points.
Matchup/League Facts
- Kent State ranks T23rd among Division 1 teams for opponent rebounds per game this season (30.2).
- Kent State ranks 32nd among Division 1 teams for opponent points per game this season (62.8).
- UC Irvine ranks 14th among Division 1 teams for free throw percentage this season (80.4%).
- UC Irvine ranks 24th among Division 1 teams for rebound percentage this season (56.9%).
UC Irvine vs Towson Prediction
I’ll stay with Towson. Probably not touching it, though. The Tigers hit a shooting slump in Friday’s overtime loss to Kennesaw State, shooting just 33.3 percent from the field with 5-of-28 (17.9 percent) from 3-point range. Towson did notch 52 rebounds and hung around for most of the game against a pretty solid Owls team, though. That said, it’s the third game in a row with fewer than 65 points for the Tigers. They’ve got to find some offense.
As for UC Irvine, on Friday they shot an ugly 31.9 percent from the field and just 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from outside. The Anteaters’ defense was stellar though, as they held the Flashes to just 22.6 percent from the field and managed a 42-32 rebounding edge. UC Irvine has held opponents below 63 points in six of their seven games so far. That said, Towson may not have to post a very high total in order to stay within cover range. I’m staying away, but they’ve got a shot.