UC Davis Aggies vs UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Prediction, 1/8/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UC Davis Aggies vs UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026

Location: The Thunderdome in Santa Barbara, CA

TV: ESPN+

The UC Davis Aggies (8-6) are on their way to The Thunderdome on Thursday where they will go up against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (9-6).

The UC Davis Aggies took the court against CSU Bakersfield and took a loss by a final of 81-79 in their last game. UC Davis wrapped up the game having earned a 41.2% field goal percentage (21 out of 51) and converted 10 out of their 25 three-point shots. When they shot from the free throw line, the Aggies converted 27 of their 36 attempts for a percentage of 75.0%. In relation to getting rebounds, they collected 29 with 8 of them being of the offensive variety. They also distributed 17 assists for this game as well as forcing the opposition into 9 turnovers and earning 5 steals. Regarding defending, UC Davis allowed 41.9% from the floor on 26 of 62 shooting. CSU Bakersfield earned 13 dimes and had 9 steals for this contest. On top of that, CSU Bakersfield collected 31 rebounds (11 offensive, 20 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. CSU Bakersfield finished 84.6% when shooting free throws by making 22 of their 26 tries. They also made 7 out of their 21 attempts from beyond the perimeter. With respect to personal fouls, the Aggies finished with 20 while CSU Bakersfield racked up 26 personal fouls.

Isaiah Chappell is a player who was a contributor for this game. He finished the game at 44.4% from the floor but didn't record an assist. He saw the court for 29 minutes and also snagged 4 boards. He scored 15 points on 4 out of 9 shooting.

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UC Davis comes into this matchup with a win-loss mark of 8-6 on the season. They cough up possession 13.3 times per contest and as a group are committing 18.9 fouls every game. As a team, UC Davis is collecting 33.1 boards per game and is sitting with 233 dimes on the campaign, which is 129th in the nation in terms of passing. The Aggies are connecting on 35.4% on 3-point shots (120 of 339) and 75.2% from the free throw line. They average 80.4 pts per game (122nd in Division 1) while shooting 47.4% from the field.

On defense, the Aggies have forced 15.4 turnovers per contest and they draw 20.2 personal fouls. They currently rank 156th in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 194 surrendered this season. The Aggies defensively are allowing a FG percentage of 44.1% (353 of 800) and they surrender 34.3 boards per contest as a squad. They are relinquishing 34.9% on shots from downtown while they are 231st in D-1 in points per game from their opponents (75.2).

When they last stepped on the court, the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos took a loss by a score of 74-65 against Cal State Northridge. The Gauchos earned 23 defensive rebounds and 9 offensive boards for a total of 32 for this game. They gave up possession 13 times, while getting 7 steals for the contest. Cal State Northridge committed 20 personal fouls in this game which got the Gauchos to the charity stripe for a total of 20 attempts. They were able to make 17 of the free throws for a rate of 85.0%. In the matter of shooting from beyond the arc, UC Santa Barbara buried 6 of their 30 tries (20.0%). Overall, the Gauchos went 21 for 61 from the field which gave them a rate of 34.4%. The Gauchos permitted Cal State Northridge to make 24 of 49 tries from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 49.0% in this matchup. They finished the game shooting 16.7% from distance by shooting 3 of 18 and walked away from this one shooting 23 out of 37 at the free throw line (62.2%). When it comes to rebounding, UC Santa Barbara allowed Cal State Northridge to get 34 in total (8 on the offensive side).

CJ Shaw was important for the Gauchos for the matchup. He racked up 20 points in his 32 minutes on the hardwood and had 1 assist for the game. He made 7 out of 11 in this game giving him a rate of 63.6%, and accumulated 2 rebounds.

UC Santa Barbara has a mark of 9-6 this season. The Gauchos have committed 19.3 fouls per game and they connect on 76.9% from the free throw line. Their rate of earning assists is at 14.8 times per game (153rd in the nation) and they lose possession via turnover 13.3 times per contest. UC Santa Barbara has 1,181 points on the season (78.7 per contest) and they collect 36.0 boards per game. As an offensive unit, the Gauchos are hitting on 46.8% from the floor, which ranks them 116th in the country.

The Gauchos on the defensive end are ranked 178th in college hoops in points given up per game with 73.3. They are forcing 13.1 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 46.7% from the floor (310th in D-1). The UC Santa Barbara defense allows 36.1% on 3-pointers (105 of 291) and their opponents are knocking down 70.5% of their foul shots. They have surrendered 13.1 dimes and 29.7 boards per game, which has them ranked 167th and 14th in college hoops.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take UC Davis

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