Bakersfield Roadrunners vs UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our UC Santa Barbara vs Bakersfield NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Bakersfield.

UC Santa Barbara vs Bakersfield Prediction

Betting on today's Gauchos and Roadrunners game? Catch the action at Icardo Center in Bakersfield, CA, as the Roadrunners hosts this showdown at 9:30 ET on ESPN+. UC Santa Barbara is favored by -2.5 in this Big West conference matchup the against Bakersfield. The over/under for the game is set at 143 points.

UC Santa Barbara vs. Bakersfield Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at Bakersfield Roadrunners
Where: Bakersfield at Icardo Center
Date: Thursday, February 6th
Betting Odds USCB -2.5, USCB -159 | CSU +130 O/U 143

Gauchos Preview: Is It the Gauchos Game to Lose on the Road?

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Recent Game/Games

UC Santa Barbara improved to 12-8 on the season with a dominant 85-54 win over Long Beach State on Saturday. Playing at home, the Gauchos entered the game as 9-point favorites and covered the spread with ease. The total points for the game reached 139, just over the pre-game O/U line of 136.5.

Santa Barbara took control early, leading 38-26 at halftime, and continued to pull away in the 2nd half, outscoring Long Beach State 47-28.

Gauchos Offense Breakdown

UC Santa Barbara's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 85 points with a field goal percentage of 53.6%. Their effective field goal percentage was even more impressive at 64.3%, thanks to their 57.1% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 21 attempts.

Devin Askew led the way with 23 points, despite shooting just 31.8% overall. Stephan Swenson added 20 points, and Cole Anderson was perfect from deep, hitting all 5 of his three-point attempts.

Gauchos Team Defense

Despite UC Santa Barbara's defensive efforts, they allowed 54 points while the opposing team shot 53% from the field, converting 30 of their 56 attempts. Inside the arc, the opponents hit 18 of 35 shots, good for 51% shooting.

From three-point range, the opposition was even more efficient, knocking down 12 of 21 threes for a 57% success rate. They also went to the free-throw line 18 times, making 13 of those attempts, a 72% clip. UC Santa Barbara gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Roadrunners Preview: Can Bakersfield Pull Off a Home Win?

Bakersfield Roadrunners Recent Game/Games

The Roadrunners fell to 8-13 on the season after an 88-62 loss to CSUN on Saturday. Bakersfield came into the game as +9.5 point underdogs and didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 150, just under the O/U line of 150.5.

Bakersfield struggled early, trailing 44-22 at halftime. They improved offensively in the 2nd half, scoring 40 points, but couldn’t slow down CSUN, who also scored 44 points after the break.

Roadrunners Offense Breakdown

The Roadrunners struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 33.9% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc, finishing with 62 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 37.5%, but they did hit 83.3% of their free throws, going 20-for-24 from the line.

Keonte Jones led the way with 16 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 58.3% from the field. Scotty Washington added 15 points, hitting 3 of 7 from deep, while PJ Fuller, Jemel Jones, and Corey Stephenson each chipped in 13 points, with Stephenson shooting 80% overall.

Roadrunners Team Defense

Bakersfield's defense struggled, giving up 88 points on 50% shooting from the field. Their opponents hit 31 of 61 shots, including 24 of 46 from two-point range at a 52% clip.

From beyond the arc, Bakersfield allowed 7 threes on 15 attempts, with their opponents shooting 46%. They also sent the other team to the line 25 times, where they made 19 free throws, shooting 76%. Bakersfield gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Gauchos vs Roadrunners Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past three road matchups, UC Santa Barbara has an ATS record of 0-2-1 while averaging 73 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
Through their last three home contests, the Roadrunners offense has averaged 67 points per game while allowing an average of 79. Bakersfield posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 0-3 ATS.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Roadrunners have gone 1-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-4.
In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Gauchos have a straight up record of 3-2, while going 1-3-1 against the spread.