Duquesne Dukes vs UC Irvine Anteaters Matchup

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

UC Irvine vs Duquesne Prediction

Betting on today's Anteaters and Dukes game? Catch the action at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, PA, as the Dukes hosts this showdown at 2:30 ET on ESPN+. In this non-conference matchup, UC Irvine is favored by -6.5 against Duquesne. The over/under for the game is 133.5 points.

UC Irvine vs. Duquesne Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UC Irvine Anteaters at Duquesne Dukes
Where: Pittsburgh at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse
Date: Saturday, December 21st
Betting Odds UCIRV -6.5, UCIRV -302 | DUQ +238 O/U 133.5

Anteaters Preview: Will the Anteaters Find a Way to Win on the Road?

UC Irvine Anteaters Recent Game/Games

UC Irvine improved to 9-1 on the season with a 92-84 road win over Belmont on Thursday. The Anteaters entered the game as -2.5 favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 176 exceeded the O/U line of 154.5.

After trailing 39-25 at halftime, UC Irvine turned things around in the second half, scoring 67 points and allowing 45. Their strong second-half performance was key to securing the win.

Anteaters Offense Breakdown

UC Irvine put up 92 points in their latest game, shooting 52.5% from the field. They were particularly effective inside, hitting 62.5% of their two-point attempts, while their three-point shooting lagged at 31.6% (6/19). At the free-throw line, they were nearly perfect, making 24 of 26 attempts for a 92.3% success rate.

Carter Whitt led the way with 25 points and 9 assists, shooting 64.3% from the field and 66.7% from three (4/6). Bent Leuchten added 23 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 66.7% overall. Justin Hohn also connected on 4 of 6 threes, finishing with 19 points.

Anteaters Team Defense

Despite UC Irvine's defensive struggles, allowing 84 points on 46% shooting, their opponent couldn't capitalize much at the free-throw line, hitting just 5 of 8 attempts. The Anteaters gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

From beyond the arc, UC Irvine's opponent shot 39%, knocking down 15 of 38 three-point attempts. Inside the arc, they were 17/31, good for 54% shooting.

Dukes Preview: Will the Dukes Come Through as Home Underdogs?

Duquesne improved to 3-8 on the season with a 65-47 win over Towson on Saturday, December 14th. The Dukes were +2.5 point underdogs going into the game but not only won, they covered the spread as well.

Duquesne took control early, leading 34-19 at halftime. They scored 31 points in the 2nd half while allowing 28. The total points for the game were 112, falling short of the 128 O/U line.

Dukes Offense Breakdown

Duquesne's offense put up 65 points in their last game, shooting 43.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 54.2%, thanks in part to hitting 11 of 26 from beyond the arc, shooting 42.3% from three-point range.

At the free-throw line, the Dukes connected on 12 of 15 attempts, good for 80%. They also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 14 assists. Cam Crawford led the way with 13 points, shooting 62.5% overall and 60% from three, while Tre Dinkins III added 12 points, hitting 4 of 7 from deep.

Dukes Team Defense

Even though Duquesne gave up 11 threes on 26 attempts, they still held their opponent to just 47 points. The Dukes allowed 43% shooting overall, with 21 made field goals on 48 attempts.

From two-point range, Duquesne's defense saw their opponent hit 10 of 22 shots, good for 45%. They also sent them to the line 15 times, where they converted 12 free throws at an 80% clip.

Anteaters vs Dukes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, UC Irvine has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 77 points per game.
Across the Dukes last five home games, the team averaged 63 points per game while allowing 71. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 2-3 straight-up.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Dukes have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-4.
The Anteaters have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.