Cal State Fullerton vs UC Santa Barbara Odds & Tips for the Big West Championship Game
Dec 21, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, United States; UC Santa Barbara Gauchos guard Ajay Mitchell (13) shoots over the Appalachian State Mountaineers’ Justin Abson (21) during the first half at the Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
- UC Santa Barbara is 2.5 point favorites over Cal State Fullerton in the Big West last Saturday, March 11th
- Both teams won close duels in the semifinals on Friday
- Below are the Titans vs. Gauchos odds and tips for Saturday’s game, which is scheduled for 9:30pm ET
On Saturday night, the runner-up UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (26-7) will take on the #4 Cal State Fullerton Titans (20-12) for the Big West title. Read on for an analysis of the battle between Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara.
UC Santa Barbara has gotten hot at just the right time, winning their last six games after three straight losses. The Titans were even stronger, winning eight in a row and ten out of eleven. On Friday, UCSB defeated UC Riverside 92-87 while Cal State defeated top-ranked UC Irvine 83-80.
Oddsmakers expect this to be a close duel, with UCSB a 2.5-point favorite as they seek their second Big West title in three years.
Cal State vs UC Santa Barbara Odds
| playing time (ET) | team | spread | money line | In total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday March 11th | Cal State Fullerton | +2.5 (-110) | +135 | O130 (-110) |
| 9:30 p.m | UC Santa Barbara | -2.5 (-110) | -155 | U 130 (-110) |
The winner of this game will receive an automatic bid into the tournament and find themselves in the predicted March Madness bracket. Neither will pose much of a threat at March Madness odds.
Odds as of March 11th at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The pick for this duel is scheduled for Saturday, March 11 at 9:30pm ET at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN+. The Gauchos are considered the -155 favorite to win their conference tournament finals against the Titans.
Cal State Fullerton betting analysis
Cal State Fullerton survived a heated battle to come through as their contest against UC Irvine resulted in six draws. They prevailed 83-80, being driven forward by Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and his 22 points. He was one of five gauchos with double-digit points. CSU Fullerton used a 9-0 second-half run to leap forward, then held on to a narrow win.
Cal State Fullerton beats UC Urvine in Big West semifinals. Irvine was the top seed and looked to me like a team that could do some damage in the tournament. Life is tough in a one bid league.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 11, 2023
The Titans are seeking their first Big West title since 2018. They have won three of their last four duels against the Gauchos by averaging nearly ten points. In two fights this season, they both won once, with Cal State Fullerton losing 66-58 in late December but winning 74-60 on February 20.
UC Santa Barbara betting analysis
UCSB won their sixth straight contest on Friday, beating the UC Riverside Highlanders 92-87. Of their six straight wins, half trailed by five points or less. They were led by Ajay Mitchell, who accumulated 28 points and dished out seven assists. Josh-Pierre Louis contributed 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and Miles Norris was 5-of-7 for 16 points.
🇧🇪 Ajay Mitchell with another beautiful performance, leveling his high of the season to help UC Santa Barbara get the W in the Big West semifinals (92-87 via UC Riverside)
28 PTS • 9-14 FG • 10-13 FT • 3 REB • 7 AST • 2 STL
Great sequence here that makes plays on both ends of the floor pic.twitter.com/58JYaZPfID
— CBB Europe (@CBB_Europe) March 11, 2023
Our model shows that this game between Cal State Fullerton and UC Santana Barbara goes the way of the gauchos at 68.1-67.2 on a tight slope. Before winning the Big West title in 2021, they hadn’t won one since 2011, and now they’re aiming for their second in three years. In each of the last three encounters between the teams, the winning team has beaten their opponents by at least eight points.
2023 March Madness Odds: NCAA Men’s Tournament Tracker
Cal State Fullerton vs UC Santa Barbara Prediction
Betting on the underdogs Titans is terribly tempting as they are the hotter team with wins in eight straight and ten of 11, plus they won by 14 over the Gauchos less than three weeks ago. That was their third win in the last four of the series, and they just upset top-ranked UC Irvine.
The game has scored over 130 points in seven of UCSB’s last eight tilts. The same goes for the Titans in five of their last six battles.
Tip: Cal State Fullerton Moneyline (+135), over 130 points (-110)
Michael Harrison
Sports and entertainment writer
Michael “Hound Dog” Harrison is best known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC on the Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years where he has appeared on Sportscentre, That’s Hockey, That’s Hockey 2Nite, The Masters Preview Shows and more.
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