CSUN Matadors vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our CSUN vs Hawaii NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Honolulu.

CSUN vs Hawaii Prediction

Betting on today's Matadors and Rainbow Warriors game? Catch the action at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI, as the Rainbow Warriors hosts this showdown at 11:59 ET on ESPN+. This Big West conference matchup has an over/under of 147.5 points, and Hawaii is favored to win by -2.5 at home vs. CSUN.

CSUN vs. Hawaii Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: CSUN Matadors at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Where: Honolulu at Stan Sheriff Center
Date: Thursday, January 16th
Betting Odds HAWAII -2.5, CSUNR +120 | HAWAII -142 O/U 147.5

Matadors Preview: Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog CSUN?

CSUN Matadors Recent Game/Games

The Matadors fell to 9-6 on the season after a 94-90 loss to the Roadrunners on Saturday. CSUN was a -4 favorite going into the game, but not only did they lose, they also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 184, well over the pre-game O/U line of 143.5.

CSUN seemed to be in control at halftime, leading 49-34, but they allowed 60 points in the 2nd half while scoring 41. This defensive collapse was a key factor in their loss.

Matadors Offense Breakdown

CSUN's offense put up 90 points in their last game, shooting 57.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 60.7%. They were dominant inside, hitting 70% of their two-point attempts, while struggling from beyond the arc, going just 4-for-16 (25%).

Jemel Jones led the way with 48 points, hitting 6 threes at a 54.5% clip. Mahmoud Fofana was nearly perfect, shooting 90% from the field and adding 26 points. Marcus Adams Jr. contributed 21 points, hitting 69.2% of his shots.

Matadors Team Defense

CSUN Matadors struggled defensively, giving up 94 points on 54% shooting. Their opponents shot 66% from two-point range, hitting 18 of 27 attempts.

From beyond the arc, CSUN allowed 10 threes on 24 attempts, a 41% clip. They also sent their opponents to the line 35 times, where they converted 28 free throws at an 80% rate.

Rainbow Warriors Preview: Pressure Builds for Hawaii as Home Favorites

Hawaii improved to 9-5 on the season with a 95-86 road win over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, January 11th. The Rainbow Warriors were -9 favorites going into the game, and the final score resulted in a push against the spread. The combined 181 points easily surpassed the O/U line of 129.5.

Hawaii led 40-36 at halftime and put up 55 points in the 2nd half while allowing 50. Their offensive explosion after the break was key to the win.

Rainbow Warriors Offense Breakdown

Hawaii's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 95 points with a field goal percentage of 61.4%. Their effective field goal percentage was even more impressive at 68.2%, thanks in large part to their dominance inside the arc, where they shot 88% (22/25). They struggled from three-point range, hitting just 26.3% (5/19), but made up for it at the free-throw line, connecting on 94.7% (36/38) of their attempts.

Donovan Oday led the way with 29 points, shooting 55.6% from the field despite going just 1/5 from three. Gytis Nemeiksa added 20 points and 8 rebounds, while Tanner Christensen was nearly perfect, hitting 6 of 7 shots for 19 points and grabbing 7 boards. Tom Beattie contributed 16 points, shooting 71.4% overall and 66.7% from deep.

Rainbow Warriors Team Defense

Hawaii's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 86 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Rainbow Warriors allowed 61% shooting on two-point attempts, with their opponents hitting 27 of 44 shots inside the arc.

From beyond the three-point line, Hawaii held their opponents to 22% shooting, with just 4 made threes on 18 attempts. However, they sent them to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 20 free throws for 74%.

Matadors vs Rainbow Warriors Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although CSUN has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 84 points per game in these games.
In their last three home games, the Rainbow Warriors have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-1-1 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 82 points per game in these contests.
The last ten games that CSUN was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 2-8 straight up.
Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Rainbow Warriors have a strong record of 4-1. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-2-1.