| MATCHUP | UC Santa Barbara Gauchos | CSU Fullerton Titals |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 9-4 | 5-9 |
| Where | Titan Gym, Fullerton, CA | |
| When | Thursday, January 1, 2026 | |
| Time | 10:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the Cal State Fullerton Titans meet Thursday in college basketball action from Titan Gym. Here’s a UC Santa Barbara vs Cal State Fullerton prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UC Santa Barbara vs Cal State Fullerton 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.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Betting Preview
The Gauchos managed to win eight of their first 10 games this year. Those victories came versus San Francisco State, San Jose State, Sac State, Nobel, Lehigh, Seattle U, Long Beach State and Cal State Bakersfield. After losses to Utah Valley and Green Bay the Gauchos recovered with a win over Portland, giving the team a 9-4 overall record through 13 games.
In the December 22 matchup with Portland, UC Santa Barbara came out of the first half with a 36-23 advantage. The Gauchos kept it up on a 43-38 run from there and took the win 79-61 in the end. Aidan Mahaney led the team on 15 points while Hosana Kitenge had 14 points. CJ Shaw doubled up on 10 points with 11 rebounds in the winning effort for the Gauchos as well.
Cal State Fullerton Titans Betting Preview
Over on the Cal State Fullerton side, they lost seven of their first 10 outings this year. Those losses were versus Wyoming, California, Pacific, Portland, Northern Colorado, Cal Poly and Hawaii. CSU Fullerton would recover on wins over Bethesda University and Denver before another loss to Oklahoma State. That would give the team a 5-8 overall record through 13 games.
In the Sunday game versus SMU the Titans were demolished in the first half 51-19. Things didn’t get much better from there on a 59-44 second in an eventual 110-63 loss. CSU Fullerton’s Joshua Ward had 16 points with seven assists and four rebounds. KJ Garris was the only other team player in double-digits with 13 points and four rebounds in the losing effort.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos @ Cal State Fullerton Titans Betting Trends: January 1, 2026
Why the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos will win
- Cal State Fullerton has lost each of its last 20 night games against the Big West Conference.
- UC Santa Barbara has won four of its last five games against the Big West Conference.
- Cal State Fullerton has lost the first half in 17 of its last 19 night games against the Big West Conference.
UC Santa Barbara vs Cal State Fullerton Prediction
I’ll stick with the Gauchos. UCSB did pretty well versus a middling Portland team in their last outing, shooting 53.6 percent from the field with 30 rebounds and 23 team assists. The Gauchos didn’t get to the line a whole lot, though (5-of-9 for 55.6 percent). Still, it was a nice bounce-back effort after consecutive losses with a combined 117 points in that pair.
As for CSU Fullerton, they got destroyed by a good SMU team in their last outing. The Titans shot just 32.3 percent from the field with 19 turnovers and a 46-14 deficit on points in the paint in that one. CSUF has given up a whopping 204 points across their last two games, though to be fair they were both road matchups against good squads in Oklahoma State and SMU.