Missouri State Bears vs UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Matchup

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

UC Santa Barbara vs Missouri State Prediction

Planning on watching today's Gauchos and Bears game? Catch the action at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, MO, as the Bears hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 137 points, and Missouri State is favored by -2.5 at home against UC Santa Barbara.

UC Santa Barbara vs. Missouri State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at Missouri State Bears
Where: Springfield at Great Southern Bank Arena
Date: Sunday, December 22nd
Betting Odds MSRST -2.5, USCB +120 | MSRST -147 O/U 137

Gauchos Preview: Will UC Santa Barbara Make it Happen on the Road?

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Recent Game/Games

The Gauchos dropped to 6-4 on the season after a narrow 60-58 road loss to Loyola Marymount on Wednesday. UCSB entered the game as +2 underdogs, and the result was an ATS push.

After trailing 33-30 at halftime, the Gauchos allowed 27 points in the 2nd half while scoring 28. The game’s total points of 118 fell well short of the 141.5 O/U line.

Gauchos Offense Breakdown

UC Santa Barbara managed just 58 points in their last game, shooting 43.9% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.1%, with a strong showing from beyond the arc, hitting 46.2% of their threes (6/13).

Caleb Stone-Carrawell and Stephan Swenson each contributed 15 points, with Swenson knocking down 3 of 5 from deep. The Gauchos only grabbed 6 offensive rebounds and dished out 10 assists, while hitting both of their free throw attempts.

Gauchos Team Defense

Despite UC Santa Barbara allowing 60 points, they struggled defensively, giving up 47% shooting from the field. The Gauchos allowed the opposing team to hit 21 of 36 shots inside the arc, a 58% success rate.

From three-point range, UC Santa Barbara held the other team to 5 of 19 shooting, or 26%. They also sent them to the free-throw line just 4 times, where they made 3 of their attempts. The Gauchos gave up 5 offensive rebounds.

Bears Preview: Can Missouri State Pull Off a Home Win?

Missouri State fell to 4-5 on the season after a 91-78 road loss to Washington State on Saturday. The Bears entered the game as +11.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 169, well over the pre-game O/U line of 140.5.

After trailing 34-27 at halftime, Missouri State scored 51 points in the 2nd half but allowed 57 points to the Cougars, leading to the loss.

Bears Offense Breakdown

Missouri State's offense was clicking in their last game, scoring 78 points with a 48.4% shooting performance from the field. They connected on 38.5% of their three-point attempts, hitting 10 of 26 shots from deep, and posted an effective field goal percentage of 56.2%. The Bears were strong inside, shooting 55.3% on two-point attempts.

Free-throw shooting was a struggle, as they made just 6 of 15 attempts (40%). On the glass, Missouri State pulled down 16 offensive rebounds, and they dished out 16 assists. Dane Erikstrup and Isaiah Watts each scored 20 points, with Erikstrup shooting 85.7% overall and Watts hitting 4 threes at a 57.1% clip.

Bears Team Defense

Missouri State's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 91 points on 62% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to hit 76% of their two-point attempts, going 23/30 inside the arc.

From three-point range, Missouri State allowed 9 threes on 21 attempts, a 42% shooting clip. They also sent the other team to the line 28 times, where they made 18 free throws.

Gauchos vs Bears Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past three road matchups, UC Santa Barbara has an ATS record of 0-2-1 while averaging 60 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
Through their last ten home contests, the Bears offense has averaged 70 points per game while allowing an average of 72. Missouri State posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 6-4 ATS.
Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Gauchos have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-3-1.
In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Bears have a strong straight up record of 4-1. In addition, their ATS record was 3-2 in these scenarios.