UC Riverside Highlanders vs UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Picks and Predictions for Thursday February 26 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 02/26/2026, 12:40 AM ET

The UC Riverside Highlanders travel to The Thunderdome on Thursday, February 26, 2026, to take on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. This Big West matchup features a struggling Riverside squad trying to play spoiler against a UC Santa Barbara team fighting for conference positioning. At the time of this writing, the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free college basketball picks for today’s action.

Highlanders Trying to Find Consistency

UC Riverside enters this matchup at 9-20 overall and 4-13 in Big West play. The Highlanders recently lost to UC Davis 78-73, UC San Diego 72-66, UC Santa Barbara 76-68, and CSUN 88-74, while earning a convincing 93-65 win over Cal State Bakersfield. That 1-4 stretch highlights ongoing defensive challenges, particularly against stronger conference opponents.

On the season, UC Riverside is averaging 72.6 points per game while allowing 77.4. They shoot 44% from the field and pull down 34.9 rebounds per game. The Highlanders average 12.7 assists per contest along with 4.2 blocks and 5.3 steals per game. While they can generate offense in spurts, their inability to consistently defend has been a major issue.

What stands out most is their defensive vulnerability. Allowing over 77 points per game in conference play puts pressure on their offense to keep pace. If they cannot control tempo, they risk being pulled into another high-scoring battle.

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Gauchos Look to Protect Home Court

UC Santa Barbara comes into this matchup at 17-11 overall and 10-7 in conference play. The Gauchos recently lost to Hawai’i 78-75 in overtime and CSUN 85-83 in overtime, but they also defeated Cal Poly 89-79, UC Riverside 76-68, and UC Irvine 84-79. Despite a couple of narrow losses, they have been competitive in nearly every outing.

The Gauchos are averaging 79.2 points per game while allowing 73.6. They shoot 47% from the field, one of the stronger marks in the Big West. UCSB averages 35.0 rebounds and 14.8 assists per game, along with 2.3 blocks and 6.8 steals per contest.

Offensive efficiency is the Gauchos’ biggest strength. Shooting 47% from the field combined with nearly 80 points per game makes them difficult to slow down, especially at home. Their ability to share the ball and generate balanced scoring gives them an edge in conference matchups.

UC Riverside Highlanders vs UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Pick

Highlanders vs Gauchos Pick

Pick: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Moneyline

UC Santa Barbara’s offensive efficiency and home-court advantage give them the clear edge. Riverside’s defensive struggles and recent losses within conference play make it difficult to back them in this spot.

The Gauchos already defeated Riverside 76-68 recently and should be able to replicate that success with their superior shooting and scoring depth.

Highlanders vs Gauchos Total Pick

Pick: Over 150 Points

I’m leaning toward the over here. UC Santa Barbara averages over 79 points per game, and Riverside allows more than 77 per contest. With both teams capable of scoring and Riverside often playing in high-scoring games, this matchup projects to reach the 150-point range.

Final Score Prediction: UC Santa Barbara 82, UC Riverside 72

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