Santa Barbara looks to cover the Gauchos-Hornets pointspread on Saturday and improve its overall 8-17 mark when they host Sacramento State in college basketball wagering action.

The Gauchos are 8-17 so far on the season, and 10-13 ATS vs. the number. The Hornets, meanwhile, are 12-12 and 8-10-2 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Santa Barbara go 9-11 and the Hornets go 7-11 on the totals.



View Sacramento State vs Santa Barbara Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to back visiting Sacramento State before tip-off in this one found them as 7.5-point underdogs over at Sportsbook earlier.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 239-ranked Gauchos and the No. 234-rated Hornets in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 67-62 win for the Hornets on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Santa Barbara's No. 246 nationally ranked offense (64.6 points per game) against a Hornets defense that sits as the No. 180 at 66.6 PPG. The Gauchos have been averaging 42% from the field, less than the Hornets have managed so far this season (42.5% on average).

Defensively, Sacramento State features the nation's No. 145-rated defense on the road, allowing 68.2 points per game. Santa Barbara, meanwhile, comes in at No. 223 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for Sacramento State, they were a 78-64 loser as they battled Northern Colorado on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 6-point underdog. The Hornets endured a 78-64 loss at the hands of the Bears on Saturday, despite a 13-point effort from Cody Demps at Butler-Hancock Pavilion.

Santa Barbara was a 54-45 loser in their most recent outing on the road against UC Riverside. They failed to cover the 1.5-point spread as favorites. The Gauchos endured a 54-45 loss at the hands of the Highlanders on Wednesday, despite a 15-point effort from Alan Williams at Student Center.


Sacramento State Hornets Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 0-10
Before playing Weber State are 1-9
After playing Northern Colorado are 2-8
After a loss are 5-5

Santa Barbara Gauchos Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 3-7
Before playing Hawaii are 0-1
After playing UC Riverside are 8-2
After a loss are 3-7

A few Hornets at Gauchos trends to consider:
Sacramento State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Santa Barbara's last 5 games
Santa Barbara is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games at home
Santa Barbara is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Santa Barbara is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home


Next up:
Sacramento State home to Weber State, Thursday, February 28
Santa Barbara at Hawaii, Thursday, February 28