Pepperdine vs Fresno State Odds and Picks (Nov. 22)
- Fresno State is a 4.5-point favorite over Pepperdine in the SoCal Classic on Monday night
- Fresno State is off to a 3-0 start after beating Idaho last Monday
- A look at the matchup and odds can be found below with a prediction
Fresno State will be looking to keep its perfect start to the season going when it meets Pepperdine at 10 p.m. PT Monday in the SoCal Classic at JSerra Pavilion in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Fresno State (3-0) will have a week off between games after getting past Idaho 69-62 last Monday at home. Pepperdine (2-3), which has alternated losses and wins in its first five games, got blown out at UC Irvine 82-48 on Saturday.
In a game televised by CBS Sports Network, Fresno State is the favorite.
Fresno State vs Pepperdine Odds
Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Fresno State | -230 | -4.5 (-120) | Over 136.5 (-110) |
Pepperdine | +188 | +4.5 (-102) | Under 136.5 (-110) |
Odds as of November 21st at FanDuel.
Fresno’s Robinson a Force
Junior forward Orlando Robinson declared for the NBA Draft at the end of last season but opted to return to Fresno State. That’s good news for the Bulldogs because the 7-footer is playing like a lottery pick so far this season.
Advertising DisclosureReally nice pocket pass from Aaron Wiggins to Orlando Robinson Jr. out of the P&R pic.twitter.com/1ckMG3MCSy
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) June 22, 2021
Robinson is averaging a double-double with 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds a game. He is also dishing an average of 3.7.
Against Idaho, Robinson finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and three dimes.
Junior guard Deon Stroud added 13 points off the bench in 17 minutes, matching his season average. Stroud also tested the draft waters last summer before deciding to stay in college.
Robinson and Stroud helped the Bulldogs shot 51.0% (26 of 51) from the field. Fresno State also outrebounded Idaho by a whopping 41-21 while holding the Vandals to 36.7% (18 of 49) shooting.
Deon. Stroud. 🥴@FresnoStateMBB | @MountainWest pic.twitter.com/euQQQclZXo
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) January 29, 2021
Two other junior guards, Jordan Campbell (11.7) and Isaiah Hill (10.3), are also scoring in double digits.
Four-Star Recruit Leads Pepperdine
Pepperdine, located in Malibu, Calif., has one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.
However, that isn’t what lured guard Houston Mallette to Pepperdine. Mallette wanted to play for Lorenzo Romar, who has been noted for his teaching of guard playing during his coaching career.
Pepperdine is in a youth heavy rebuild year, while without its highest rated freshman Maxwell Lewis – Houston Mallette (6'5 G) has been a standout thru 3 games – 47.8% from 3 on 8.5 attempts per 36, 65.8 TS%, passing has been + for archetype (18 a%) along with 3 s% & 2.6 b% pic.twitter.com/keFLdBZiao
— PD Web (@abovethebreak3) November 16, 2021
Though Mallette was held to four points on 1-of-5 shooting by UC Irvine, he is having a fine freshman season. The Alameda, Calif., native leads the Waves in scoring at 13.4 points a game.
Mallette has also knocked down half his three-point attempts, going 14 of 28.
Senior forward Keith Fisher III, a transfer from Illinois State scored a team-high 13 points Saturday and senior guard Jude’ Smith added 11. Smith is having a fine al-round season with averages of 11.8 points, 8.5 rebounds 2.0 assists.
Also averaging double digits in points is junior forward Jan Zidek (10.2).
#JanZidek with the drive to the hoop! #WavesUp pic.twitter.com/9ynsrx5wUQ
— Pepperdine Men’s Basketball (@PeppBasketball) November 13, 2021
Pepperdine played its worst game of the year against UC Irvine. The Waves shot 33.3% (18 of 54) overall and 23.1% (3 of 13) from long range while committing 17 turnovers. The Anteaters shot 50.0% (32 of 64) and had eight turnovers.
Fresno State/Pepperdine Prediction
Fresno State has won three of its last four games against Pepperdine. The team haven’t met since the 2015-16 season when the Bulldogs won 69-66 in Fresno.
Though the cat has changed since that last game, look for Fresno State to continuing its winning ways over Pepperdine behind the veteran duo of Robinson and Stroud.
The Pick: Fresno State -4.5 (-120)