UC Irvine vs Hawai’i Predictions, Picks and Odds (Big West Championship)

• The UC Irvine Anteaters are slight -1.5-point favorites tonight against the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors in the Big West Championship
• UC Irvine has won five straight, and defeated Hawai’i in their lone meeting this season
• See below for my UC Irvine vs Hawai’i predictions, picks and odds for the Big West Championship

The Big West Championship tips off tonight with UC Irvine set to clash with Hawai’i in a winner-takes-all showdown for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The Anteaters enter this neutral-site battle riding high at 23-10 overall, looking to secure the conference crown as a slight betting favorite in the college basketball odds.

Meanwhile, Hawai’i sits at an impressive 23-8, fighting to punch their March Madness ticket before transitioning to the Mountain West next season.

The action gets underway at 7pm PT, 10pm ET, at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada, with ESPN2 providing the broadcast coverage.

Keep reading for my UC Irvine vs Hawai’i predictions, picks and the latest odds for the Big West Championship.

UC Irvine vs Hawai’i Predictions and Picks

• UC Irvine Moneyline (-115 at Bet365)
• Over 141.5 Total Points (-115 at FanDuel)

Both squads are fresh off dominant semifinal victories. UC Irvine has the look of the team to beat, leaning on elite redshirt sophomore Derin Saran to pace the offense. They’re looking to qualify for the NCAA Tournament champion odds bracket for the first time since 2019, while the Rainbow Warriors are trying to get back to March Madness for the first time since 2016.

When exploring how these two teams match up, the most glaring difference lies in their overall quality of competition. UC Irvine holds a significant edge in Strength of Schedule and Opponents’ Winning Percentage, and defeated Hawai’i earlier this season. This strength of schedule discrepancy and overall Big West Tournament peformance perfectly supports my prediction of taking the UC Irvine moneyline (-115). The Anteaters have posted three straight double-digit victories, averaging 15 more points per game than the Rainbow Warriors.

I’m also backing the Over in this spot. Both squads feature multiple high-volume scorers who can rain buckets on a neutral court. UC Irvine’s offense is operating at a blistering pace, dropping 93 points in their semifinal matchup. Saran enters play on the heels of a massive 23-point performance versus Cal State Northridge, where he took over early and never let his foot off the gas.

Hawai’i meanwhile, is also finding immense offensive success, hanging 78 points while dominating the paint versus Cal State Fullerton. Combining UC Irvine’s offensive efficiency with Hawai’i’s frontcourt scoring capabilities creates a perfect script for an up-tempo shootout. Expect a quick start from both sides that ultimately pushes the final score past the 141.5 full-game number.

UC Irvine vs Hawai’i Odds

Odds as of March 14, 2026, at 7:14 PM ET. Make sure to sign up and use the bet365 bonus code to bet on NCAA hoops.

The best place to bet the UC Irving moneyline at the time of writing is bet365. They’re currently offering the line at -115 odds, while other books have it priced 10 cents higher. As for the total, FanDuel is the sportsbook to visit if you’re targeting the over like me. They’re hanging a 141.5-point over/under, a full point lower than the rest of the market.

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As for the college basketball public betting splits, the moneyline market presents a textbook sharp versus public betting scenario. An overwhelming 78% of the betting tickets are backing UC Irvine to win outright. However, a massive 61% of the total money is actually riding on the underdog Hawai’i. Because the majority in both categories exceeds the 60% threshold on opposite sides, it strongly indicates that the casual public is happily riding the favorite, while the heavy, sharp money is backing the underdog to pull off the outright upset.

When it comes to the total, the over is dominating the market, pulling in 75% of the tickets and a nearly identical 76% of the total stake. That explains why the total has risen 4 points since opening odds were released, and if money keeps pouring in on the over the line movement might not be done.