UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs Baylor Bears Prediction, 3/17/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs Baylor Bears

Date: Friday, March 17, 2023

Location: Ball Arena in Denver, CO

TV: TNT

Odds/Point Spread: UC Santa Barbara (+11)

Ball Arena is the location where the Baylor Bears (22-10) will attempt to beat the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (27-7) on Friday. UC Santa Barbara is 11-point dogs from Vegas oddsmakers. The over/under has been set at 143.5.

The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos played CSU Fullerton and took home the win by a score of 72-62 in their last game. Concerning fouls, the Gauchos finished with 20 while CSU Fullerton recorded 24 fouls. They also converted 2 of 14 shots from 3-point range. CSU Fullerton ended up shooting 66.7% when shooting free throws by knocking down 12 of their 18 tries. Moreover, CSU Fullerton collected 31 rebounds (6 offensive, 25 defensive), but didn't notch a block. CSU Fullerton dished out 4 dimes and had 3 steals for the matchup. With respect to defense, UC Santa Barbara allowed 44.4% from the field on 24 of 54 shooting. They also distributed 11 assists in the matchup while forcing the other team into 12 turnovers and earning 4 steals. When it comes to rebounding, they compiled 31 with 4 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Gauchos made 19 of 24 attempts for a rate of 79.2%. UC Santa Barbara wrapped up the game having earned a 41.8% field goal percentage (23 of 55) and buried 7 of their 17 three-point attempts.

Ajay Mitchell is one guy who was a contributor in the game. He finished with 20 points on 8 out of 12 shooting. He played for 38 minutes played and pulled down 4 rebounds. He finished the game at 66.7% from the floor and earned 4 assists.

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UC Santa Barbara heads into this matchup with a record of 27-7 for the campaign. They turn the ball over 11.3 times per contest and as a squad are committing 16.1 personal fouls every game. As a team, UC Santa Barbara is snagging 32.1 rebounds per contest and has accumulated 483 assists for the year, which ranks 68th in college basketball in terms of passing the rock. The Gauchos are shooting 35.3% on shots beyond the perimeter (190 of 539) and 72.8% from the free throw line. They have an average of 72.2 points per contest (170th in the country) while hitting 49.3% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Gauchos are able to force 12.4 turnovers per game while drawing 17.8 personal fouls. They are conceding 34.3% from 3-point land and they are 53rd in the country in opponents points per game (65.6). The Gauchos defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 44.1% (817 of 1,851) and they relinquish 30.2 boards per game as a team. They are currently ranked 139th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 394 relinquished this season.

For their last game, the Baylor Bears walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 78-72 against Iowa State. The Bears were able to collect 12 defensive rebounds and 3 offensive rebounds for a total of 15 in the matchup. They also coughed up the ball 11 times, while getting 9 steals for the matchup. Iowa State earned 15 personal fouls for this game which took the Bears to the charity stripe for a total of 13 attempts. They were able to knock down 12 of them for a rate of 92.3%. In the matter of shots from 3-point land, Baylor converted 14 of their 29 tries (48.3%). When the final whistle blew, the Bears shot 23 out of 51 from the floor which had them shooting 45.1%. The Bears allowed Iowa State to make 30 of 61 attempts from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 49.2% for the matchup. They finished the game shooting 38.1% from three-point range by connecting on 8 of 21 and finished the contest at 10 of 14 from the free throw line (71.4%). In relation to rebounds, Baylor permitted Iowa State to collect 43 overall (20 offensive).

Jalen Bridges ended up being important for the Bears for this game. He made 10 out of 11 in this contest giving him a field goal percentage of 90.9%, and tallied 5 rebounds. He had 28 points in his 38 minutes on the court and accounted for 2 dimes for the game.

Baylor has a mark of 22-10 this year. The Bears commit 17.4 fouls per contest and they connect on 74.9% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 14.5 times per game (80th in Division 1) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.3 times per game. Baylor has earned 2,469 pts on the year (77.2 per contest) and they grab 34.3 rebounds per contest. On the offensive side of the court, the Bears are connecting on 44.7% from the field, which ranks them 180th in D-1.

The Bears defensively are ranked 183rd in college basketball in PPG surrendered with 70.3. They are forcing their opponents into 13.5 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 45.3% from the field (287th in the nation). The Baylor defense gives up 32.2% on 3-point shots (219 of 680) and their opponents are converting on 70.7% of their foul shots. They surrender 15.4 assists and 32.2 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is 340th and 67th in Division 1.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Baylor (-11)

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