UC Riverside vs Santa Clara Prediction 3/18/25 College Basketball Picks

The UC Riverside Highlanders are visiting the Santa Clara Broncos on Tuesday, March 18th at the Leavey Center, in this National Invitation Tournament matchup. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a UC Riverside Highlanders vs Santa Clara Broncos Prediction. We will examine:

The Santa Clara Broncos recent form and player performance

The UC Riverside Highlanders recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Santa Clara Broncos

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UC Riverside Highlanders

Recent betting trends in games played between the UC Riverside Highlanders vs Santa Clara Broncos

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for UC Riverside Highlanders vs Santa Clara Broncos game

Santa Clara Broncos Preview

The Santa Clara Broncos have a 20-12 record this season and finished on the 4th place of the West Coast. The Broncos are coming off a 76-78 loss by Pepperdine. The Broncos are 17-15 against the spread, and 16-16 in over/under, while having a 11-4 home record.

Offensively, Santa Clara is averaging 81.3 points per game, which ranks 29th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 72.8 points per game (204th). The Broncos shoot with 46.7% from the field (69th), and with 37.7% from beyond the arc (25th). The Broncos shoot with 72.8% from the free throw line (156th), and are grabbing 34.5 rebounds per game (54th).

Adama Bal leads Santa Clara in scoring this season, with an average of 12.9 points and a team-high 3 assists per game, while Carlos Stewart adds 12.2 points per game.

UC Riverside Highlanders Preview

The UC Riverside Highlanders have a 21-12 record this season and were placed 3rd in the Big West. They are coming off a 83-96 loss by Cal Poly. The Highlanders are 18-12-1 against the spread, and 19-12 in over/under, while having a 7-10 road record.  

Offensively, UC Riverside is averaging 75.2 points per game, which ranks 149th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 74.2 points per game (227th). The Highlanders shoot with 42.7% from the field (300th), and with 33.8% from beyond the arc (187th). The Highlanders shoot with 75.4% from the free throw line (68th), and are grabbing 33.7 rebounds per game (72nd).

Barrington Hargress leads UC Riverside in scoring this season, with an average of 20.6 points, adding a team-high 3.9 assists, while Isiah Moses adds 11.6 points and 3 assists per game.

Why the Santa Clara Broncos will win

• Santa Clara has won each of its last eight night games against the Big West Conference.
• UC Riverside has lost 12 of its last 14 road games against non-Conference opponents.
• UC Riverside has lost the first half in each of its last 11 night games against the West Coast Conference.

Why the UC Riverside Highlanders will win

• UC Riverside has won four of its last five night games.
• Santa Clara has lost three of its last four night games.

Total Points Facts

• Seventeen of Santa Clara’s last 19 games against the Big West Conference Conference have produced a total of 150 or fewer points.
• Thirty-six of UC Riverside’s last 41 night games against non-Conference opponents have produced a total of 152 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

• Santa Clara ranks 6th among Division 1 teams for three-point field goals made per game this season (10.8).
• Santa Clara ranks 20th among Division 1 teams for three-point field goal attempts per game this season (28.8).
• UC Riverside ranks T17th among Division 1 teams for opponent steals per game this season (5.3).
• UC Riverside ranks T31st among Division 1 teams for field goal attempts per game this season (62.3).

UC Riverside Highlanders vs Santa Clara Broncos Prediction

In their previous meeting earlier this season, Santa Clara won 96-54 at home, covering the spread, as the game went under the point total.

In this UC Riverside Highlanders vs Santa Clara Broncos Prediction, Santa Clara is coming as -10.5 home favorites. This double digit spread feels too big for this matchup, as the books are probably overreacting to Santa Clara’s 42-point home victory in the regular season. UC Riverside has a better record this season, and were not that bad on the road (7-10). Santa Clara is 3-3 in their last 6 games, but 7-2 against the spread in their last 9, while UC Riverside is 5-2 in their last 7 and 5-5 against the spread in their last 10, so I don’t see any value on either side based in their recent form. Both teams have been playing some higher scoring games lately, as they are 10-2 to the over in their last 12 games combined. With the Broncos having an elite offense and shooting percentages, and both teams sitting outside the top-200 of the nation in points allowed, I expect another high-scoring affair. Take the over 149.5 points in this one.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Over 149.5