The field is set for the 2024 Big West Tournament, which will take place March 13-16 at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. Let’s take a look at my 2024 Big West Tournament preview, picks, and best bets.
2024 Big West Tournament Preview, Picks, and Best Bets
The tournament will tip off Wednesday, March 13th at 6:00 p.m. ET, with No. 5 UC Riverside taking on No. 8 Cal State Bakersfield for the right to play No. 4 Long Beach State. The championship game will be held on Saturday, March 16th, at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The Big West Tournament lays out a little differently than most. With only eight teams, the No.1 UC Irvine & No. 2 UC Davis seeds get a bye straight to the semifinal round.
One win by each of those teams and sends them to the championship game. In comparison, the No. 5 – No.8 seeded teams have to win three games just to get to the title game.
The UC Irvine Anteaters earned the No. 1 overall seed for a second straight year, going 17-3 in conference play with an overall record of 24-8. UC San Diego had the second-best conference record this season but is not eligible for the postseason as they finish their transitional period from a Division ll school to Division I.
The third through seventh seeds entered the final game of the season within a half-game of each other, showing the depth of the Big West Conference.
2024 Big West Tournament Odds
UC Irvine Anteaters -200
UC Davis Aggies +450
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors +850
Long Beach State Dirtbags +1100
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos +2000
UC Riverside Highlanders +4500
CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners +5000
CSUN Matadors +6000
Best Bet to Win – UC Davis Aggies (+450)
With UC Irvine being the heavy favorites at -200, it’s almost impossible to bet on them. However, for a huge price drop you can get the next best team, and all they have to do is win two games to cash for you, sounds like a good deal to me.
The Aggies finished the season by winning four of their last five games. One of which was against UC San Diego, the team that finished second overall in the regular-season Big West standings. Other wins in that stretch came against Hawaii and Long Beach State, the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the tournament, respectively.
UC Davis also proved during the season that they are capable of taking down the giant, UC Irvine, with a 54-52 win over the Anteaters in January. This team ended the season hot and is two wins away from cashing this bet.
Mid-Tier Best Bet to Win – Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (+850)
Betting on the No. 3 seed in this tournament also offers you good value at +850. The Rainbow Warriors ended their season on a run, winning seven of their last nine games. Over that stretch, Hawaii took down No. 4 seeded Long Beach State, No. 2 seed UC Davis, and UC San Diego.
If Hawaii can take down the winner of UC Santa Barbara vs. CSUN, only the No. 2 seed UC Davis will stand in the way of their making it to the championship game. Betting both UC Davis and Hawaii then offers you two options on one side of the bracket. Assuming Hawaii wins their first game, you’ll be guaranteed a player in the championship game.
Dark Horse Winner – UC Riverside Highlanders (+4500)
While UC Riverside is a fairly long shot, the No. 5 seed was a half-game away from the No. 3 seed entering their last regular season game against Hawaii. Hawaii handled business and dropped UC Riverside down to the No. 5 seed, making their path to the title tougher.
As close as this conference was during the regular season, making this team this much of a long shot doesn’t quite seem to equate. Before that loss to the Rainbow Warriors, the Highlanders won three games in a row, including one against No. 2 seed UC Davis, a 19-point win.
A win in the first round against No. 8 seed CSUB will put them up against Long Beach State, whom they beat in February. A win against Long Beach State would put them one game away from the championship game. They’d face No. 1 seed UC Irvine in the semifinals, a team they only lost to by six points on the road the last time they played.
Even More College Basketball Content
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