Hawaii vs UC Riverside and Betting Preview
Sportsmemo handicapper JM Sports offers his Hawaii vs UC Riverside predictions and betting preview for the Big West Conference Tournament on Thursday, March 10. At the time of posting, the Highlanders are a 3-point favorite against the Rainbow Warriors, with the total sitting at 126.5 points.
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Thursday, March 10 | Big West Conference Tournament Betting Notes |
---|---|
Point Spread: | Hawaii Rainbow Warriors +3 vs UC Riverside Highlanders |
Total: | 126.5 Points |
Game Time: | 11:30pm ET / 8:30pm PT |
Arena: | Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, NV |
TV: | ESPN+ |
Hawaii vs UC Riverside Analysis
The Big West tournament continues as UC-Riverside takes on Hawaii in the quarterfinals! This should be an exciting match-up as the 3rd seed and the 6th seed meet for the 2nd time this season, and two of the best offenses in the Big West square off early in the tournament.
UC Riverside sits with the 3rd best offense in the conference, along with the 5th best defense in the Big West, while Hawaii holds the 2nd best offense and the 4th best defense in the conference.
Hawaii holds the head-to-head series advantage posting a 12-10 record against UC-Riverside since 1997, but recently UC-Riverside has won four of the six games in the last three years.
This year is a little bit of a role reversal, last year in the quarterfinals of the Big West tournament the 3rd seed, UC-Riverside, took down 6th seed Hawaii.
Highlanders Playing Hot as of Late
UC Riverside is now sitting as the 6th seed in the conference tournament and taking on the 3rd seed in Hawaii.
Riverside has been hot in the last six games, they have won four of those straight up and covered five of the six games against the spread, stemming from six straight games shooting 50% or better.
In the last five games, they are putting up nearly 79 PPG, but they have allowed over 71 PPG to the opposition over the stretch, which has helped them secure back-to-back wins on the road.
Yet, the Riverside team hasn’t played as well away from their home court on the season, they are 14-11 on the year, but they are just 6-7 on the road this year, and they are averaging just 62.5 PPG away from home, noticeably different then their previous five game stretch.
They are also 9-6 in conference play on the year, but they have played the easiest conference schedule in the Big West.
Most of their success has come from being the best defense in the conference defending shots inside the arc, and they rank 48th nationally against effective FG% and they are the 24th best team in the country covering shots outside the arc!
Hawaii Highly Efficient on Defense
Hawaii is the one that flipped the script this year, they have played a noticeably better game against conference opponents this year, they are 10-5 against the Big West, which has secured them the #3 spot in the tournament.
The same position that UC Riverside held last season when they fell to Hawaii in the tournament. Hawaii has gone 4-5 outside the conference, but they are 10-5 against conference opponents this year!
Hawaii has also posted an 8-2-2 record against the spread on the road, but they have split their away games straight up, sitting at a 6-6 record.
They have closed out the season on a decent run, they have won three of their last five games and their defense has held the opposition to just 62 PPG on average in the last five, including a 2-1 record against the spread away from home in the last five games. Their defense has put up some impressive stats on the season.
They are the 25th best team in the nation defending the three (2nd best in the conference), 89th against shots inside the arc (2nd in the conference) and 47th best in the country in effective FG% allowed overall (2nd in the conference), but that is no knock on their offensive power and the capability of their 3PT shooting.
Hawaii vs UC Riverside Prediction
Both teams have to have their sites set on UC Davis & Cal State Fullerton, but this isn’t the game to over look. Both teams possess a well balanced team, with similar defensive and offensive rankings.
Although, the big difference maker could be the turnover battle, Hawaii has struggled to create turnovers, while Riverside has been able to keep control of the ball well.
If Hawaii struggles to create the turnovers, they are going to have to be nearly perfect offensively, seeing as they on of the slowest paced teams in the conference, limiting their opportunities to put up points.
They have covered 8 of the 10 road games this year (two pushes), and their defense is their strongest weapon.
If their defense can limit a UC-Riverside offense that has put up almost 79 PPG in the last five games, Hawaii has the offensive capabilities of keeping this close.
Prediction: Hawaii +3
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Hawaii vs UC Riverside GoldSheet Preview
College Basketball Stat Sheet
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