Pepperdine Waves vs San Francisco Dons Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our San Francisco vs Pepperdine NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Malibu.

San Francisco vs Pepperdine Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Dons versus the Waves? Tip off is at at 10:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, CA. San Francisco come into this West Coast conference matchup as the -6.5 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 147.5 points.

San Francisco vs. Pepperdine Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: San Francisco Dons at Pepperdine Waves
Where: Malibu at Firestone Fieldhouse
Date: Thursday, January 16th
Betting Odds SF -6.5, SF -275 | PEPP +220 O/U 147.5

Dons Preview: Can the Dons Pull Off a Win at Malibu?

San Francisco Dons Recent Game/Games

The Dons fell to 13-5 on the season after a 77-54 loss to the Broncos on Saturday. San Francisco entered the game as +3 point underdogs and not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

San Francisco led 28-21 at halftime but allowed 56 points in the 2nd half while scoring just 26. The total points for the game were 131, falling short of the 151.5 O/U line.

Dons Offense Breakdown

San Francisco's offense struggled in their last game, putting up just 54 points on 35% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 40%, and they hit only 18.8% of their threes, going 6-for-32 from beyond the arc. At the free-throw line, they shot 50%, making 6 of 12 attempts.

Carlos Stewart Jr. led the way with 25 points, shooting 69.2% overall and 62.5% from three, hitting 5 of 8 attempts. Malik Thomas added 19 points, connecting on 4 of 9 threes, while Elijah Mahi contributed 17 points, shooting 70% from the field.

Dons Team Defense

Despite giving up 77 points, San Francisco's defense struggled to contain their opponent, who shot 51% from the field, including 60% on two-point attempts. The Dons allowed 30 made field goals on 58 attempts.

From beyond the arc, San Francisco's opponent hit 9 of 23 three-point shots, good for 39%. The Dons also sent them to the free-throw line 11 times, where they made 8 free throws, shooting 72%.

Waves Preview: Will Pepperdine Make it Happen at Home?

Pepperdine Waves Recent Game/Games

The Waves improved to 7-10 on the season after an 87-70 road win over the Tigers on Saturday. Entering the game as +1 underdogs, Pepperdine not only secured the win but also covered the spread.

Pepperdine led 40-28 at halftime and added 47 points in the 2nd half, while allowing 42. The game’s total points (157) went over the pre-game O/U line of 149.5.

Waves Offense Breakdown

Pepperdine's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 87 points with a field goal percentage of 57.4%. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 68.5%, thanks in part to their 73.1% shooting from two-point range and 42.9% from beyond the arc, hitting 12 threes.

Stefan Todorovic led the way, hitting 7 of 8 threes and finishing with 29 points on 10 of 13 shooting. Moe Odum dished out 11 assists, and the Waves finished with 21 assists as a team.

Waves Team Defense

Offensively, Pepperdine put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 39% from the field with 22 made baskets on 56 attempts. They connected on 50% of their two-point shots, going 12/24 inside the arc.

From three-point range, the Waves hit 10 of their 32 attempts, good for 31%. They also went to the free-throw line 23 times, making 16 of those for 69%. Pepperdine gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Dons vs Waves Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, San Francisco has an ATS record of 4-5-1 while averaging 72 per game. The team went 3-7 overall in these games.
Although Pepperdine has a straight up record of 2-8 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 3-7. The team averaged 66 points per game in these games.
Looking back on the team's last five games as the underdog, the Waves have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-2.
The last ten games that San Francisco was favored, they have an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 9-1 straight up.