UC Irvine vs. UAB Prediction Tonight: Best Picks, Preview & Odds for NIT Quarterfinal
Tonight's NIT quarterfinal features No. 1 seed UC Irvine Anteaters (30-6) and No. 6 seed UAB Blazers (24-12). The game starts at 9 p.m. ET (ESPN2) from Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif.
The NIT odds top seed are the 4.5-point betting favorites for the contest, and we expect the Anteaters to cover in our UC Irvine vs. UAB prediction, odds, and preview.
🏀 UC Irvine vs. UAB prediction & picks for Wednesday
Here are my best UC Irvine vs. UAB predictions for the quarterfinal of the National Invitational Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:
✅ Against the spread pick: UC Irvine -4.5 (-115 via BetMGM) vs. UAB ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Over/Under pick: Under 160.5 (-112 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: UC Irvine 78, UAB 66 (+19000 via DraftKings)
🔢 UC Irvine vs. UAB updated betting action
The below betting information is via BetMGM.
- 52% of bets are on the Blazers (+4.5)
- 57% of bets are on the Under (154.5)
- UAB's moneyline odds opened at +180. They are at +150 hours before tipoff
👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and our March Madness Sweet 16 predictions.
🏆 Best UC Irvine vs. UAB pick, over/under bet & score prediction
Our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds for any March Madness market across legal sportsbooks in your area!
✅ UC Irvine to cover the spread: -4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The more you look under the hood with this matchup, the more obvious it becomes that this is mostly a battle between two senior big men, Bent Leuchten for UC Irvine and Yaxel Lendeborg for UAB.
Leuchten, who stands 7-foot-1, led the Anteaters in points (15.3), rebounds (9), and blocks (1.3) per game. Lendeborg, a slightly shorter 6-foot-9, led the Blazers in points (17.8), rebounds (11.2), assists (4.2), steals (1.8), and blocks (1.8).
UAB has been the better team since Feb. 1, per T-Rank. The Blazers rank 79th behind their 37th-ranked offense. The Anteaters clock in at 96th and are outside the top 80 in both offense and defense. However, they rank fourth-best in 2-point shooting percentage allowed (42.6%), a credit to Leuchten and forward Kyle Evans, who's averaging 1.2 blocks per game off the bench.
The Blazers' offensive success hasn’t stemmed from shooting efficiency, but instead from their ninth-lowest turnover rate and seventh-highest offensive rebound rate. However, with their 278th-ranked 2-point shooting percentage and 355th-ranked 3-point rate, it’s unclear how they’ll manage to score against UC Irvine’s massive frontcourt.
Lendeborg has been incredible so far in the NIT, but he can't do enough to drag UAB any further.
We examined Lendeborg's matchup further in our UC Irvine vs. UAB player props.
📊 Best odds: -115 via BetMGM ($10 to win $8.70)
Bonus bets will expire in 7 days. One new customer offer only. Additional terms and conditions apply.
🔥 Over/Under pick: Under 160.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
UAB and UC Irvine have both been playing at an above-average pace this season, especially since Feb. 1, so it may surprise you to see me pick the Under. I’m doing so because the total has become too bloated. I struggle to see how these teams combine for 160-plus points.
UC Irvine’s excellent interior defense creates a huge problem for a UAB team that refuses to pull up from deep. The Anteaters still trot out a top-10 defense by effective field-goal percentage allowed, despite their 349th ranking in opponent's 3-point percentage since Feb. 1.
UAB’s defense hasn’t been nearly as efficient as UC Irvine’s, but it has been funneling opposing offenses into taking 2-point shots. The unit ranks 33rd in opponent's 3-point rate over our chosen sample, decreasing the significance of UC Irvine’s 86th-place ranking in 3-point rate across that stretch.
📊 Best odds: -112 via DraftKings ($10 to win $8.93)
Terms and conditions apply.
🎯 Score prediction: UC Irvine 78, UAB 66
We’re staying well Under the current total (160.5) and getting exposure on UC Irvine to cover (-4.5) with this exact score prediction. This projection puts us 16.5 points below the total, and 7.5 points in UC Irvine’s direction relative to the spread.
While Lendeborg is an excellent player and will probably be selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, I just don’t think he can carry this roster any further. Plus, if he gets into early foul trouble trying to limit UC Irvine’s bigs, the Anteaters will be able to run away with the game.
📊 Best odds: +19000 via DraftKings ($10 to win $1,900)
🤖 UC Irvine vs. UAB AI prediction
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NIT Tournament stats before predicting the winner and exact score for UC Irvine vs. UAB. Our AI prediction projects a final score of UC Irvine 74, UAB 70.
🖥️ AI score prediction: UC Irvine 74, UAB 70.
- UC Irvine's defense is among the nation's best, allowing opponents to shoot just 39.5% from the field, which could challenge UAB's offensive efficiency.
- UAB's offense averages 82.3 points per game, but their 3-point shooting has been inconsistent, which may be problematic against UC Irvine's perimeter defense.
- UC Irvine's home-court advantage is significant, with a 12-2 record at Bren Events Center this season, potentially impacting UAB's performance.
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction suggests UAB covering the spread (+4.5) and a total of 144 points, which is Under the Over/Under line of 159.5. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that bettors might overlook.
📊 Live UC Irvine vs. UAB odds
Follow the latest live NIT college basketball odds and real-time college basketball scores.
There hasn't been any significant on the spread or moneyline leading up to tipoff in today's NIT quarterfinal. UC Irvine remains a 4.5-point favorite with moneyline odds hovering around -200 at our best live betting sites. However, the total has climbed from 157.5 to 159.5 in the hours before tonight's contest.
Latest UC Irvine vs. UAB odds
Here are the latest odds for UC Irvine vs. UAB odds from BetMGM ahead of tipoff:
Spread
UC Irvine is a 4.5-point betting favorite against UAB, juiced at -105. The UAB side (+4.5) is juiced slightly to -115 odds.
Total
The UC Irvine vs. UAB betting total sits at 154.5 ahead of tipoff. That Over/Under is down a 5 points from the opening line.
Moneyline
UC Irvine is a -185 moneyline favorite with an implied win probability of 64.91% against UAB.
🔢 UC Irvine vs. UAB opening odds
- Spread: UC Irvine -4.5 (-110) | UAB +4.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: UC Irvine -205 | UAB +175
- Over/Under: Over 157.5 (-110) | Under 157.5 (-110)
📺 How to watch UC Irvine vs. UAB: NIT Quarterfinal
📅 Date: Wednesday, March 26
🕗 Time: 9 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Bren Events Center (Irvine, Calif.)
📺 TV: ESPN2
💻 Streaming: ESPN+
💰 March Madness betting odds pages
| March Madness odds | March Madness MVP odds |
| Women's March Madness odds | March Madness MVP predictions |
| Final Four odds | March Madness prop bets |
👑 Best March Madness betting sites
Ready to place your March Madness bets? Check out the best March Madness betting promos from the best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review.
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission
Related Articles
