Loyola Marymount Lions vs UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Matchup

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

UC Santa Barbara vs Loyola Marymount Prediction

Looking to win big? The Gauchos and Lions face off at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. The Lions are hosting the game at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Loyola Marymount as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 141.5 points.

UC Santa Barbara vs. Loyola Marymount Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at Loyola Marymount Lions
Where: Los Angeles at Gersten Pavilion
Date: Wednesday, December 18th
Betting Odds LOYMRY -1.5, USCB +109 | LOYMRY -130 O/U 141.5

Gauchos Preview: Will the Gauchos Win on the Road?

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Recent Game/Games

UC Santa Barbara improved to 6-3 on the season with an 83-66 win over Green Bay on Saturday. The Gauchos were -13.5 point favorites at home and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 149, just under the 152-point O/U line.

After trailing 31-27 at halftime, UCSB turned things around in the 2nd half, scoring 56 points while allowing only 35.

Gauchos Offense Breakdown

UC Santa Barbara put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 45.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.1%. They hit 57.9% of their two-point attempts, while connecting on just 30.3% from beyond the arc, going 10-for-33 from three-point range.

The Gauchos dished out 19 assists and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. Deuce Turner led the way with 23 points in 25 minutes, hitting 3-of-7 from deep. Kenny Pohto added 19 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 69.2% from the field.

Gauchos Team Defense

UC Santa Barbara's defense gave up 66 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 45% from the field on 32 of 71 attempts. Inside the arc, the Gauchos allowed 57% shooting, as their opponents hit 22 of 38 two-point shots.

From three-point range, UC Santa Barbara held their opponents to 30% shooting, with 10 made threes on 33 attempts. The Gauchos also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 12 times, where they converted 9 shots for 75%. Defensively, UC Santa Barbara allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Lions Preview: Can the Lions Live Up to the Hype at Home?

Loyola Marymount moved to 4-4 on the season with a narrow 76-75 win over Prairie View A&M on Saturday. The Lions were heavy favorites at -18.5 but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 151, falling short of the 159 O/U line.

After trailing 32-32 at halftime, LMU scored 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 43 to secure the win. Despite the victory, the Lions will look to improve after a closer-than-expected game.

Lions Offense Breakdown

Loyola Marymount's offense put up 76 points in their last game, shooting 48.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.8%. They hit 56.7% of their two-point attempts and 36.4% from beyond the arc, connecting on 8 of 22 three-point tries. At the free-throw line, they went 18 for 25, good for 72%.

Will Johnston led the way with 23 points, shooting 60% overall and 57.1% from three-point range. Nick Anderson added 20 points, despite missing all four of his three-point attempts, while Tanahj Pettway contributed 18 points and 5 assists. Jevon Porter struggled with his shot, hitting just 2 of 11 attempts, but he grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds and dished out 9 assists.

Lions Team Defense

Even with Loyola Marymount allowing 75 points, their defense struggled, giving up 48% shooting from the field. The Lions allowed 17 two-point baskets on 30 attempts, a 56% success rate for their opponent.

From beyond the arc, Loyola Marymount's defense saw their opponent hit 8 threes on 22 attempts, a 36% clip. They also sent the other team to the line 25 times, where they converted 18 free throws, shooting 72%. The Lions gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Gauchos vs Lions Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, UC Santa Barbara has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 72 per game. The team went 6-4 overall in these games.
Through their last five home games, Loyola Marymount has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 1-4 while averaging 66 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Gauchos have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. UC Santa Barbara posted a straight up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.
Going back to their previous five games as the favorite, Loyola Marymount has an ATS mark of 0-4-1 while going 2-3 straight up.