It will be a contest between two stifling defenses when the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (9-3) go head-to-head against the San Francisco Dons (12-1) at Thunderdome. The game begins at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 29, 2018.
San Francisco Dons at UC Santa Barbara Gauchos ATS Odds
Both teams were victorious in their last game. The Gauchos were victorious over the Wyoming Cowboys 76-66, while the Dons easily got past the UC Davis Aggies 76-42.
San Francisco dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.4 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.574. UC Davis recorded marks of 13.5 and 0.304, respectively, for those same stats. The Gauchos, meanwhile, had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.585 vs. 0.405) and had a much better free throw rate (0.447 vs. 0.328). UC Santa Barbara received a boost from Jaquori McLaughlin, who contributed 17 points. Jordan Ratinho had a good outing for San Francisco, putting up 14 points.
The Gauchos won the sole game between these two teams last year, 79-72. UC Santa Barbara had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.526 vs. 0.403). San Francisco, meanwhile, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (31.0 vs. 18.8). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
This battle pits one of the country’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. UC Santa Barbara currently ranks 50th in offensive efficiency and San Francisco is sixth in defensive efficiency. Moreover, the Dons rank 21st in turnover percentage (15.7 percent), while the Gauchos rank 284th in opponents’ turnover percentage (17.4 percent).
San Francisco Dons at UC Santa Barbara Gauchos ATS Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – UC Santa Barbara, ATS Winner – San Francisco, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- San Francisco ranks 89th in three pointers attempted per game (24.5) while UC Santa Barbara ranks 243rd (17.6).
- The Gauchos rank 24th in blocks allowed per game (2.3) while the Dons rank 61st (3.1).
- UC Santa Barbara is eighth in the nation with 4.5 steals allowed per game while San Francisco is 11th with 4.4 steals allowed per game.
- The Dons rank 22nd in rebounds per game (40.8) while the Gauchos rank 87th (37.8).
- San Francisco ranks 12th in assists allowed per game (9.7) while UC Santa Barbara ranks 52nd (11.4).
Bettings Trends:
- The Dons’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 29.4, up from 20.0 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Gauchos have scored an average of 78.2 points per game (2.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 63.6 points per game (1.6 below their season average).
