UC Santa Barbara vs UC Davis Prediction 2/5/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the UC Davis Aggies meet Thursday in college basketball action from the Pavilion. Here’s a UC Santa Barbara vs UC Davis prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UC Santa Barbara vs UC Davis 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 got off to a very nice start this year, going 8-2 over their first 10 games out of the gate. UC Santa Barbara lost five of the next six with a lone win over Portland, however. Since then it’s been a six-game winning streak over Cal State Bakersfield, Hawaii, Cal Poly, Long Beach State, UC San Diego and CSU Fullerton. That gives the Gauchos a 15-7 record in 22 games this year.

In the CSU Fullerton matchup over the weekend, the Gauchos were in control at the break with a 38-29 advantage. UC Santa Barbara hit a 45-40 run the rest of the way and took the victory in the end 83-69. CJ Shaw was tops on 17 points with four rebounds while Marvin McGhee added 14 points with nine rebounds in 27 minutes. Colin Smith chipped in 13 points with three boards as well.

UC Davis Aggies Betting Preview

Over on the UC Davis side, they could only muster a .500 run over their first 10 games at 5-5 overall. The Aggies would then beat Idaho State, Pacific Union, CSU Northridge and UC Santa Barbara in the next six. Since then it’s been another 4-2 run with wins over CSU Fullerton, UC Irvine, UC Riverside and CSU Bakersfield. The Aggies have a 13-9 run over their first 22 games in the books.

Matched up against CSU Bakersfield on Saturday the Aggies held a slim one-point edge in the locker room. UC Davis got better from there on a 44-37 run in the second half and took the victory on the road in the end 80-72. Connor Sevilla was tops on the team with 27 points and four rebounds while Carl Daughtery had 15 points with four rebounds in 35 minutes of action on the floor.

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos @ UC Davis Aggies Betting Trends: February 5, 2026

Why the UC Davis Aggies will win

• UC Davis has won seven of its last eight games at University Credit Union Center following a road win.
• UC Santa Barbara has lost the first half in each of its last four night games at University Credit Union Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos will win

• UC Santa Barbara has won each of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• UC Davis has lost seven of its last nine night games against the Big West Conference.

UC Santa Barbara vs UC Davis Prediction

I’ll take a stab on UC Santa Barbara but you could call this one either way. The Gauchos didn’t have too many issues overall with a middling CSU Fullerton team last weekend, hitting 48.3 percent from the field and 82.4 percent (14-of-17) from the line alongside a 38-24 rebounding edge. UCSB did cough up 16 turnovers in the home victory, though. The Gauchos have won six straight games now, with 74 or more points scored in five fo them.

These teams last saw each other on January 8 in a 93-86 home loss for UC Santa Barbara. In that one the Gauchos shot 54.7 percent from the field and 50 percent (12-of-24) from outside but just 64 percent (16-of-25) from the line alongside a 32-24 rebounding deficit. UCSB needs to sharpen up a lot if they want to get some revenge in this road rematch. Should be an interesting game overall.

Andrew Jett's Pick: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos -1.5