Long Beach State Beach vs UC Irvine Anteaters Matchup

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

UC Irvine vs Long Beach State Prediction

Planning on watching today's Anteaters and Beach game? Catch the action at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA, as the Beach hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. UC Irvine is favored by -15.5 in this Big West conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 137.5 points.

UC Irvine vs. Long Beach State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UC Irvine Anteaters at Long Beach State Beach
Where: Long Beach at Walter Pyramid
Date: Thursday, January 30th
Betting Odds UCIRV -15.5, UCIRV -1700 | LBST +890 O/U 137.5

Anteaters Preview: Does UC Irvine Stand a Chance on the Road?

UC Irvine Anteaters Recent Game/Games

UC Irvine improved to 17-3 on the season with a 71-55 win over Hawaii on Saturday. The Anteaters were -10.5 favorites going into the game and covered the spread with the win.

UC Irvine led 34-24 at halftime and added 37 points in the second half while holding Hawaii to 31. The combined points of 126 fell short of the 139.5 O/U line.

Anteaters Offense Breakdown

UC Irvine put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 44.3% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc, hitting 7 of 21 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.2%, and they connected on 66.7% of their free throws, going 10 for 15 from the line.

The Anteaters dished out 22 assists, with Myles Che and Justin Hohn each contributing 5. Che also scored 17 points, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from three. Kyle Evans was perfect from the field, hitting all 6 of his shots, while Devin Tillis grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with his 11 points.

Anteaters Team Defense

Even with UC Irvine allowing 55 points, their defense gave up a 44% shooting performance from the field. The Anteaters allowed 27 made field goals on 61 attempts.

Inside the arc, UC Irvine's defense allowed 20 two-point baskets on 40 attempts, a 50% shooting rate. From three-point range, they gave up 7 made threes on 21 attempts, a 33% shooting percentage. UC Irvine also sent the opposing team to the line 15 times, where they converted 10 free throws, shooting 66%.

Beach Preview: Will Long Beach State Make it Happen at Home?

Long Beach State Beach Recent Game/Games

Long Beach State fell to 5-14 on the season after a 78-69 road loss to Cal Poly on Saturday. The Beach entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 147, just under the O/U line of 152.5.

After trailing 40-28 at halftime, Long Beach State put up 41 points in the second half while allowing 38, but their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the early deficit.

Beach Offense Breakdown

Long Beach State's offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 40.3% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.2%, with two-point shooting at 45% (18/40) and three-point shooting at 31.8% (7/22). They connected on 75% of their free throws, hitting 12 of 16 attempts.

Devin Askew led the way with 35 points, hitting 5 of 8 from beyond the arc and shooting 50% overall. Jarred Hyder also had a strong performance, going 5 for 7 from three-point range and finishing with 19 points on 63.6% shooting. The Beach grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and dished out 7 assists in the game.

Beach Team Defense

Long Beach State's defense struggled, giving up 78 points on 50% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 54% of their two-point attempts, going 24/44.

From beyond the arc, Long Beach State allowed 6 threes on 15 attempts, a 40% shooting performance. Their opponent also went 12/17 from the free-throw line. Long Beach State gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Anteaters vs Beach Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, UC Irvine has an ATS record of 6-4 while averaging 76 per game. The team went 7-3 overall in these games.
In their last three home games, Long Beach State has averaged 76 points per game while allowing 79. The team's record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Beach have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-3.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Anteaters have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 8-2.