UC San Diego vs Hawaii Prediction 2/22/25 College Basketball Picks Today

In this article, we will formulate a UC San Diego vs Hawaii Prediction for this college basketball game on Saturday,  February 22nd, at the LionTree. Let’s take a look at a UC San Diego vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors pick. 

The first time these two teams faced off, UC San Diego secured the 74-63 victory. 

What Happened in the Last Game?

Overall, Hawaii has played pretty well this season, but the last game was shocking. Hawaii faced off against UC Irvine, a team that is better than them on paper, but their lack of scoring, only putting up 49 points, cost them any chance at a win. They hit only 29.1 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from behind the three-point line. The defense held UC Irvine to only 23.8 percent from deep, and that type of defense would be helpful again in this game. Two games ago against Long Beach State, Hawaii was able to pick up the win, but even in that game, the offense only managed 62 points. 

Hawaii has a 14-12 record overall this season but only 8-13-1 against the spread. Away from home, they have only two wins. As much as they played well at home and used the island as a home-court advantage, the dropoff has been shocking on the road. The Rainbow Warriors are averaging 70.7 points, while the defense is giving up 69.8 points per game. Hawaii is shooting only 32.56 percent from three, and the last game seemed more of a trend rather than an outlier. Gytis Nemeiksa has been the top player this season, averaging 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds. Hawaii’s offense can’t keep having issues scoring, especially on the road, and expect to secure victories. 

Can UC San Diego Make the Big Dance?

UC San Diego is the real deal, and have all the confidence in the world heading into this game. They have won eight games in a row, and each of the last six games has been by at least 16 points. The offense has been a strength, and in the last game against Cal Poly, they put up 81 points. The most impressive part of this team has been the balanced nature, and the last game had four different players put up at least 14 points. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones had a strong game, putting up 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. San Diego has scored at least 81 points in four of the last five games. 

UC San Diego has a 23-4 record and has gone 20-5 against the spread. As the saying goes, good teams win, great teams cover: this is a great team. The offense gets the praise, but the defense is often overlooked, and they are giving up only 62.7 points per game. Tait-Jones has been the top player, averaging 19.8 points per game. He gets the headlines, but four players average at least 10 points. 

Why UC San Diego Will Beat Hawaii

• UC San Diego has won each of its last eight night games.
• Hawaii has lost each of its last four road games against the Big West Conference.

UC San Diego vs Hawaii Prediction

UC San Diego already has one cover against Hawaii this season, and I expect similar results here. Hawaii scored 49 points in the last game, and the lack of three-point shooting will hurt them again here. San Diego’s defense has stepped up all season, giving up 62.7 points per game. San Diego has too many scoring playmakers for Hawaii’s defense to slow down. Tait-Jones will pace the Tritons again here, but it won’t just be him that lights up the scoreboard. UC San Diego at home will win this game and cover the spread.