Southern Utah pays a visit to UC Riverside on Saturday, hoping to send the Highlanders to a loss while covering the college basketball spread at Student Center.

The Highlanders currently sports a 11-15 record overall in NCAAB action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 9-14 ATS. The Thunderbirds are 13-14 and 12-10-1 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Highlanders produce a 9-14 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Thunderbirds have gone 7-14-1 against the number.



View Southern Utah vs UC Riverside Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
College basketball odds makers opened the Highlanders as 4-point favorites in this matchupl.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Highlanders at No. 192 and the Thunderbirds at No. 261 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 62-61 result in favor of the Thunderbirds.



How They Match Up:
Scoring and defensive stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features UC Riverside's No. 323-ranked scoring average of 59.8 PPG, against a Thunderbirds defense rated No. 203 and allowing 67.8 PPG. The Highlanders FG% has averaged 41.5% to date this season, less than the Thunderbirds shooters have managed so far (47.5% per game).

Defensively, Southern Utah features the nation's No. 230-rated defense on the road, allowing 72.3 points per game. UC Riverside, meanwhile, comes in at No. 316 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for Southern Utah, they were a 76-68 loser as they battled Oakland on the road. They covered in the match as a 11.5-point underdog. The Thunderbirds got 18 points from Damon Heuir, but it was Oakland that prevailed in a 76-68 final on Wednesday at Athletics Center.

UC Riverside was a 77-64 loser in their most recent outing at home against CS Fullerton. They failed to cover the 3.5-point spread as underdogs. The Highlanders endured a 77-64 loss at the hands of the Titans on Wednesday, despite a 11-point effort from Kareem Nitoto at Student Center.


UC Riverside Highlanders Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing CS Northridge are 3-7
After playing CS Fullerton are 2-8
After a loss are 4-6

A few Thunderbirds at Highlanders trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UC Riverside's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of UC Riverside's last 6 games at home
UC Riverside is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
UC Riverside is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games


Next up:
Southern Utah home to Oral Roberts, Saturday, February 25
UC Riverside at CS Northridge, Wednesday, February 22