St. Thomas (MN) Tommies vs UC Riverside Highlanders Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our St. Thomas (MN) vs UC Riverside NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Riverside.

St. Thomas (MN) vs UC Riverside Prediction

The Tommies and Highlanders are set to face off at 5:00 ET on ESPN+. The Highlanders will host the game at SRC Arena in Riverside, CA. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 149.5 points, with UC Riverside being favored by -1.5 over St. Thomas (MN).

St. Thomas (MN) vs. UC Riverside Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: St. Thomas (MN) Tommies at UC Riverside Highlanders
Where: Riverside at SRC Arena
Date: Sunday, December 29th
Betting Odds UCRVS -1.5, STMN -111 | UCRVS -110 O/U 149.5

Tommies Preview: Will St. Thomas (MN) Come Through as Road Underdogs?

St. Thomas (MN) improved to 7-4 on the season with a 93-68 road win over Bowling Green on Saturday. The Tommies, who were favored by 3.5 points, covered the spread, and the total points of 161 exceeded the O/U line of 154.5.

St. Thomas dominated early, leading 46-20 at halftime, but allowed 48 points in the 2nd half while scoring 47 of their own.

Tommies Offense Breakdown

St. Thomas put up 93 points in their last game, shooting 51.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 61.3%. Their two-point shooting was a standout at 65.6%, and they hit 36.7% from beyond the arc, making 11 threes. At the free-throw line, they connected on 81.8%, going 18-for-22.

Miles Barnstable led the way with 23 points, while Javontae Campbell and Drake Dobbs each added 18. Marcus Johnson and Kendall Blue contributed 16 points apiece, and Derrick Butler and Carter Bjerke both chipped in 15. Bjerke also grabbed 7 rebounds, tying for the team lead in that category.

Tommies Team Defense

St. Thomas (MN) put together a solid defensive performance, holding their opponent to 68 points on 37% shooting from the field. They limited damage inside, with the opposing team shooting 43% on two-point attempts (16/37).

From beyond the arc, St. Thomas (MN) held their opponent to 27% shooting, as they connected on just 6 of 22 three-point attempts. The Tommies also gave up 18 points from the free-throw line, where their opponent shot 90% (18/20). St. Thomas allowed 6 offensive rebounds in the game.

Highlanders Preview: Will UC Riverside Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

UC Riverside Highlanders Recent Game/Games

UC Riverside dropped to 6-5 on the season after a 66-53 loss to UNLV on Saturday. The Highlanders went into the game as +9.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 119, falling short of the 142.5 O/U line.

Riverside trailed 31-29 at halftime but struggled in the 2nd half, scoring just 24 points while allowing 35. This performance highlights the team’s need to improve their 2nd half play moving forward.

Highlanders Offense Breakdown

UC Riverside's offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 28.8% from the field and 23.3% from beyond the arc, finishing with 53 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 33.3%, despite grabbing 23 offensive rebounds.

Barrington Hargress led the way with 17 points, while Dedan Thomas Jr. added 15 points and 5 assists. Jeremiah Cherry was efficient, hitting 6 of 8 shots for 12 points in just 18 minutes.

Highlanders Team Defense

Even with UC Riverside giving up 66 points, their defense held strong from beyond the arc, limiting their opponent to just 3 made threes on 19 attempts, a 15% shooting performance.

Inside the arc, however, UC Riverside allowed 57% shooting, with their opponent hitting 24 of 42 two-point attempts. They also sent the other team to the line 13 times, where they made 9 free throws.

Tommies vs Highlanders Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, St. Thomas (MN) has averaged 81 points per game while allowing 70. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
Through their last three home games, UC Riverside has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 63 points per game.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, St. Thomas (MN) has an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 3-7 straight up.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Highlanders have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-5-1.