Belmont Bruins vs UC Irvine Anteaters Matchup

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

UC Irvine vs Belmont Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Anteaters versus the Bruins? Tip off is at at 7:30 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Curb Event Center in Nashville, TN. UC Irvine is favored by -2.5 in this non-conference contest against Belmont. The game's over/under currently sits at 152.5 points.

UC Irvine vs. Belmont Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UC Irvine Anteaters at Belmont Bruins
Where: Nashville at Curb Event Center
Date: Thursday, December 19th
Betting Odds UCIRV -2.5, UCIRV -139 | BELM +114 O/U 152.5

Anteaters Preview: Can UC Irvine Pull Out the Win as Road Favorites?

UC Irvine Anteaters Recent Game/Games

UC Irvine dropped to 8-1 on the season after a 67-55 road loss to Oregon State on Saturday, December 14th. The Anteaters entered the game as +2.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 122, falling short of the O/U line of 136.

After trailing 34-30 at halftime, UC Irvine managed just 25 points in the 2nd half while allowing 33 points to the Beavers.

Anteaters Offense Breakdown

UC Irvine struggled offensively in their last game, putting up just 55 points while shooting 37% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.6%, with two-point shooting at 41.2% (14/34) and three-point shooting at 30% (6/20).

Damarco Minor led the Anteaters with 19 points, hitting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc and adding 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Michael Rataj contributed 13 points, and Parsa Fallah added 12, shooting 50% from the field.

Anteaters Team Defense

UC Irvine's defense gave up 67 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 46% from the field on 24 of 52 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 51% shooting, as the other team hit 18 of 35 two-point shots.

From three-point range, UC Irvine's defense held their opponents to 6 of 17 shooting, or 35%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 17 times, where they converted 13 attempts for 76%. UC Irvine allowed 9 offensive rebounds.

Bruins Preview: Can the Bruins Pull Out the Win as Home Underdogs?

Belmont improved to 8-2 on the season with a 93-86 road win over Richmond on Saturday. The Bruins entered the game as -1.5 favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 179 went well over the pre-game O/U line of 149.5.

Belmont led 40-34 at halftime and then scored 53 points in the 2nd half, allowing 52 points to Richmond.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

Belmont's offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 93 points with a 57.9% field goal percentage. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 70.2%, thanks to 66.7% shooting on two-pointers and 48.1% from beyond the arc, hitting 13 threes.

Jonathan Pierre led the way with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, shooting 5/9 from deep. Mike Walz and Brody Peebles were perfect from the field, both going 4/4 overall and 100% from three-point range.

Bruins Team Defense

Belmont's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 86 points on 50% shooting from the field. They allowed 18 two-point baskets on 31 attempts, with their opponents hitting 58% of their shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, Belmont's opponents shot 39%, making 9 of 23 attempts. Belmont also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 23 of those attempts, shooting 79%.

Anteaters vs Bruins Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road contests, the Anteaters offense has averaged 76 points per game while allowing an average of 71. UC Irvine posted an overall record of 2-1 while going 1-2 ATS.
The Bruins are 4-1 ATS in their last home games and 4-1 straight-up.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Bruins have gone 4-6 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 3-7.
In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Anteaters have a strong straight up record of 3-0. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.