Oregon vs UC Riverside Prediction 11-4-24 College Basketball Picks

The UC-Riverside Highlanders and the Oregon Ducks meet Monday in college basketball action from the Matthew Knight Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a UC-Riverside vs. Oregon prediction.

UC-Riverside Team Preview

UC-Riverside comes into the 2024-25 season looking to continue the strong foundation built by head coach Mike Magpayo, finishing 16-18 overall last year including 10-10 in Big West conference play. Magpayo went from a coach that had zero coaching experience at the D-I level to taking the Highlanders to new heights, having never finished above .500 in conference play prior to Magpayo taking over. Barrington Hargress and Isaiah Moses return to set the tone in Riverside’s backcourt, as the two returning double-digit scorers for UC-Riverside. Joel Armotrading transfers in from Cal Poly to give the Highlanders some sorely needed size inside standing 6’10”. With a lot of continuity within the program, this could be one of the best seasons in program history for UC-Riverside.

Why the UC Riverside Highlanders will win

• UC Riverside has won 14 of its last 16 day games against non-Conference opponents.

Oregon Team Preview

The Oregon Ducks come into the 2024-25 season looking to add on to their most recent season success, finishing 24-12 overall last year and making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Jackson Shelstad is back as the floor general for the Ducks after averaging 12.7 PPG while Keeshawn Barthelemy will hope for a clean bill of health. Dana Altman does what Dana Altman does, and that’s hit the transfer portal to bring in some solid pieces, like TJ Bamba from Villanova, Brandon Angel from Stanford, Ra’Heim Moss from Toledo and Supreme Cook from Georgetown, all of whom are seniors that averaged double-digits in scoring for their former teams. Nathan Bittle has the unenviable task of trying to replace N’Faly Dante up front, but averaging 10 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 17.2 MPG last season is a good place to start. There’s going to be a lot of question marks with the travel schedule with Oregon’s transition to the Big Ten, but only time will tell if Altman and the Ducks have all of the answers.

Why the Oregon Ducks will win

• UC Riverside has lost each of its last seven road games against non-Conference opponents.
• Oregon has won each of its last nine Monday games.

UC-Riverside vs. Oregon Prediction

I’m on UC-Riverside and the points here. Oregon gets a fair bit of love for the name brand, but this Highlanders team isn’t necessarily a pushover and could have a solid shot in this game. This Oregon team is what we’ve come to expect from Oregon in recent years, a transfer-laden lineup that takes time to gel and I’m not sure that this is the kind of number I want to lay on opening night. Give me the Highlanders and the points.