Long Beach State Beach vs UC Riverside Highlanders Prediction, 1/29/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Long Beach State Beach vs UC Riverside Highlanders

Date: Thursday, January 29, 2026

Location: SRC Arena in Riverside, CA

TV: ESPN+

The Long Beach State Beach (8-13) are on their way to SRC Arena on Thursday where they will compete against the UC Riverside Highlanders (7-14).

The Long Beach State Beach faced off with UC Santa Barbara and took a loss by a score of 74-71 in their last game. Long Beach State finished with a 49.0% field goal percentage (25 out of 51) and converted 7 of 19 shots from downtown. From the free throw line, the Beach buried 14 of 16 tries for a percentage of 87.5%. In terms of grabbing rebounds, they earned 24 with 4 of them being offensive. They also doled out 18 assists for this game while forcing the opposition into 7 turnovers and getting 5 steals. In terms of defense, Long Beach State allowed 48.2% from the floor on 27 out of 56 shooting. UC Santa Barbara totaled 18 dimes and had 3 steals in the game. Furthermore, UC Santa Barbara collected 31 rebounds (9 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't have a block. UC Santa Barbara finished the game shooting 68.8% at the charity stripe by knocking down 11 of their 16 tries. They made 9 out of their 19 tries from distance. In relation to personal fouls, the Beach ended up with 17 while UC Santa Barbara totaled 16 personal fouls.

Petar Majstorovic is a guy who was important for the game. He ended up with 21 points on 7 out of 11 shooting. He was on the court for 29 minutes and totaled 6 boards. He finished shooting 63.6% from the floor and also totaled 2 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Parlay Picks

Long Beach State heads into this one with a record of 8-13 this year. They are giving up possession 12.2 times per game and as a team they commit 19.5 fouls every game. As a unit, Long Beach State is pulling down 32.9 rebounds per game and has tallied 296 assists on the year, which ranks 170th in the country in terms of passing the ball. The Beach are shooting 32.7% on three-point shots (145 of 443) and 73.2% from the charity stripe. They currently have an average of 75.0 points per outing (219th in the nation) while connecting on 45.9% from the field.

On defense, the Beach are able to force 13.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 16.5 personal fouls. They surrender 35.8% from 3-point land and they are 259th in college hoops in points per game allowed (76.6). The Beach are giving up a field goal percentage of 47.2% (552 of 1,169) and they relinquish 33.3 rebounds per game as a unit. They currently rank 271st in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 297 surrendered this season.

When they last stepped on the court, the UC Riverside Highlanders went home defeated by a final of 74-66 against UC Davis. Concerning rebounding, UC Riverside permitted UC Davis to get 28 in total (6 offensive). They went 43.8% from beyond the arc by going 7 of 16 and finished the game at 17 of 25 from the free throw line (68.0%). The Highlanders permitted UC Davis to make 25 of their 50 tries from the field which left them shooting 50.0% in the game. When the game finished, the Highlanders finished shooting 24 for 57 from the field which had them at 42.1%. In terms of 3-point shots, UC Riverside knocked down 8 out of their 25 tries (32.0%). They were able to knock down 10 of the free throws for a rate of 52.6%. UC Davis committed 18 fouls for the contest which took the Highlanders to the free throw line for a total of 19 attempts. They also gave up possession 12 times, while recording 5 steals for this contest. The Highlanders were able to snag 19 defensive boards and 7 offensive boards totaling 26 in this matchup.

Marqui Worthy ended up being a major contributor for the Highlanders in this contest. He buried 7 of 14 in this contest giving him a rate of 50.0%, and had 8 rebounds. He racked up 18 points in his 32 mins of playing time and had 1 assist in the matchup.

UC Riverside has a win-loss record of 7-14 on the year. The Highlanders have committed 18.6 fouls every game and they go 73.5% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 12.4 times per game (301st in college) and they turn the ball over 13.5 times per contest. UC Riverside has totaled 1,502 pts for the campaign (71.5 per contest) and they collect 33.9 rebounds per game. On the offensive side of the court, the Highlanders are hitting on 43.9% from the field, which is ranked 263rd in college.

The UC Riverside defense surrenders 35.1% on shots from beyond the arc (140 of 399) and their opponents are converting on 68.4% of their free throw attempts. They relinquish 13.6 assists and 35.1 rebounds per game, which is 201st and 212th in college hoops. The Highlanders are ranked 288th in college in points given up per game with 77.8. They are able to force 10.9 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 47.7% from the floor (340th in the nation).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Long Beach State

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.