Cal State Fullerton vs UC Santa Barbara Odds & Picks for Big West Championship Game
- UC Santa Barbara are 2.5-point favorites over Cal State Fullerton in the Big West final Saturday, March 11
- Both teams won close battles in the semi-finals on Friday
- Below, see the Titans vs Gauchos odds and picks for Saturday’s game set for 9:30pm ET
Saturday evening, the second-ranked UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (26-7) will square off against the #4 Cal State Fullerton Titans (20-12) for the Big West title. Read on for an analysis of the Cal State Fullerton vs UC Santa Barbara battle.
UC Santa Barbara has gotten hot at the right time, taking their last six games following three straight defeats. The Titans have been even stronger, winning eight in a row and ten of eleven. On Friday, UCSB dispatched of UC Riverside 92-87, while Cal State took down top ranked UC Irvine 83-80.
Oddsmakers are expecting this to be a close duel, with UCSB a 2.5-point favorite as they’re looking for their second Big West title in three years.
Cal State vs UC Santa Barbara Odds
| Game Time (ET) | Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, March 11th | Cal State Fullerton | +2.5 (-110) | +135 | O 130 (-110) |
| 9:30 pm | UC Santa Barbara | -2.5 (-110) | -155 | U 130 (-110) |
The winner of this game will earn an automatic bid into the tournament and will find themselves on the projected March Madness bracket. Neither will be a big threat in the March Madness odds.
Odds as of March 11 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tip-off for this clash is set for 9:30 pm ET on Saturday, March 11th at Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. The game is being carried by ESPN2 and ESPN+. The Gauchos are pegged as the -155 favorite to win their conference tourney finale against the Titans.
Cal State Fullerton Betting Analysis
Cal State Fullerton survived a heated battle to get through, as their contest against UC Irvine saw there be six ties. They prevailed 83-80, being paced by Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and his 22 points. He was one of five Gauchos in double digit points. CSU Fullerton used a 9-0 run in the second half to jump ahead, then they held on for the close victory.
Cal State Fullerton knocks out UC Urvine in the Big West semis. Irvine was the top seed, and looked to me like a team that could do some damage in the tourney. Life is tough in a one-bid league.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 11, 2023
The Titans are searching for their first Big West title since 2018. They’ve won three of their last four duels against the Gauchos by an average of nearly ten points. In two battles this season, they both won once, with Cal State Fullerton losing 66-58 late December, but they prevailed 74-60 on February 20th.
UC Santa Barbara Betting Analysis
UCSB won their sixth straight contest on Friday, dispatching of the UC Riverside Highlanders by a count of 92-87. Of their six wins in a row, half of them have been by five points or less. They were led by Ajay Mitchell, who put up 28 points and doled out seven assists. Josh-Pierre Louis contributed 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and Miles Norris was 5-for-7 for 16 points.
🇧🇪 Ajay Mitchell with another beautiful performance, tying his season-high to help UC Santa Barbara get the W in the Big West semifinals (92-87 over UC Riverside)
28 PTS • 9-14 FG • 10-13 FT • 3 REB • 7 AST • 2 STL
Great sequence here making plays on both ends of the floor pic.twitter.com/58JYaZPfID
— CBB Europe (@CBB_Europe) March 11, 2023
Our model has this Cal State Fullerton vs UC Santana Barbara game going the Gauchos way 68.1-67.2 in a close tilt. Before winning the Big West title in 2021, they hadn’t won one since 2011, and now they’re going for their second in three years. The last three times both teams squared off, the winning squad beat their opposition by at least eight points each time.
Cal State Fullerton vs UC Santa Barbara Prediction
Wagering on the underdog Titans is awfully tempting, given that they’re the hotter team with wins in eight straight and ten of eleven, plus they won by 14 over the Gauchos less than three weeks ago. That was their third win in the last four in the series, and they just upset top ranked UC Irvine.
In seven of UCSB’s last eight tilts, the game has been over 130 points. The same can be said for the Titans in five of their last six battles.
Pick: Cal State Fullerton Moneyline (+135), Over 130 points (-110)
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Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
