San Diego vs. San Francisco Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, Feb. 1 (Lay Points with Dons)
San Diego is no stranger to the underdog role and the Toreros will be getting points for the 16th time this season when they visit San Francisco Thursday night.
San Diego lost five consecutive games by double figures in WCC play before bouncing back on the road with wins last week over Portland and Pepperdine.
San Francisco returns home after hanging with Gonzaga (77-72 loss) and pulling away from Portland by a dozen. The Dons sit in fourth in the conference and have enjoyed being a favorite this season, cashing nearly 70% of tickets (11-5 ATS). Can they pull away on Thursday?
Here’s the betting preview for this Bay Area battle with a best bet.
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San Diego vs. San Francisco odds, spread and total
San Diego vs. San Francisco betting trends
- San Diego is 8-12 ATS this season
- San Francisco is 14-7 ATS this season
- San Diego is 7-8 ATS as an underdog this season
- San Francisco is 11-5 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 12-8 in San Diego games this season
- The OVER is 10-11 in San Francisco games this season
San Diego vs. San Francisco how to watch
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 1
- Game time: 11 p.m. EST
- Venue: War Memorial Gymnasium
- How to watch (TV): CBS Sports Network
- San Diego record: 12-10 (2-5 WCC)
- San Francisco record: 16-6 (5-2 WCC)
San Diego vs. San Francisco key players to watch
San Diego
PJ Hayes: It’s been a hot-and-cold season for Hayes, a 6-foot-6 senior forward. In the win over Portland Jan. 23, Hayes poured in a season-high 33 points and knocked down nine 3-pointers. One game later, Hayes was just 1-of-5 from the field and went 0-for-4 from deep, finishing with just 2 points and 4 rebounds in the win over Pepperdine. He’s averaging 11 points per game this season.
San Francisco
Ndewedo Newbury: The 6-foot-7 junior forward from London is averaging 9.2 points per game but makes San Francisco’s offense even more dangerous with his efficiency, shooting 55.6% from the field. Newbury posted season-highs with 22 points and 9 rebounds in Saturday’s win over Portland. He’s scored 38 points and went 14-of-25 from the field over the last two games with 15 boards, 4 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks.
San Diego vs. San Francisco prediction and pick
In the first matchup between these two teams Jan. 11, San Francisco went on the road and dominated both sides of the ball in a 20-point victory. San Francisco shot 51.7% from the field (despite a 5-of-21 showing from downtown) but was even better on the defensive end.
San Francisco forced 18 turnovers and held San Diego to just 7-of-24 from the perimeter and 41.1% shooting for the game. It’s hard to see this matchup going differently than the previous matchup as San Francisco boasts the No. 29 defense in KenPom.
San Francisco has a distinct advantage in two categories: turnovers and rebounding. San Francisco’s defense is No. 31 in turnover percentage and San Diego coughs it up at the No. 316 rate in the country. On the glass, San Francisco is No. 9 in defensive rebounding and San Diego is No. 226 in creating second-chance opportunities.
On the offensive end, San Diego’s defense is No. 201 in KenPom with below-average metrics in all major categories, none worse than in 2-point field goal percentage (No. 280). San Francisco is No. 13 in shooting from inside the arc and should get plenty of quality looks near the rim. San Diego may have picked up a few conference wins against the lower-tier teams in the conference, but they get a tougher test on the road Thursday.
Lay the big number with San Francisco.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change