College Basketball prediction, pick for UC San Diego vs. Loyola Marymount on Tuesday 12/16/25
Ryan Wohl gives his college basketball analysis and pick for UC San Diego vs. Loyola Marymount on Tuesday, December 16.
Tonight’s college basketball slate ends with a West Coast matchup between UC San Diego and Loyola Marymount. The Tritons have a 9-1 record while the Lions are 7-3 this season. UC San Diego has won two straight games since its first loss, while Loyola Marymount has suffered two consecutive defeats. This is the 44th all-time game between these two teams, with UC San Diego holding a 22-21 record. Loyola Marymount has won the previous four matchups against Loyola Marymount.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, UC San Diego is a -2.5-point favorite with Loyola Marymount being the underdog at +124 to win this game. Here is my best bet for tonight’s UC San Diego vs. Loyola Marymount matchup.
UC San Diego vs. Loyola Marymount (11:30 p.m. ET)
After starting the season 6-0, Loyola Marymount has gone 1-3 in its previous four contests. In their last game on December 2 against Saint Louis, the Lions lost 91-70. Recently, they have struggled to score, recording 70 or fewer points in four consecutive games. Jan Vide leads the team in scoring with 15.2 points, but hasn’t played since November 14. Of Loyola Marymount’s players who have appeared in all 10 games this season, they have three players averaging at least 10 points. Myron Amey Jr. and Rodney Brown Jr. make up their backcourt, combining for 28.2 points a game.
Although the odds are close, KenPom has these two teams ranked far apart. UC San Diego is No. 87, while Loyola Marymount is 132nd. The Tritons have the 71st-best offensive rating and the 127th-best defensive rating, while the Lions’ offense is rated 219th and their defense 68th.
UC San Diego has a much better offense and has scored 87 or more points in four of its last five victories. They only have three double-digit scorers, but their leading scorer, Leo Beath, averages 19.1 points per contest. Also, the Tritons are an elite shooting team, hitting 40.2 percent of their three-pointers, the seventh highest in college basketball.
Given Loyola Marymount’s inconsistent offense, it shouldn’t bode well for them against UC San Diego, as they have won back-to-back games by six and 26 points. Loyola Marymount is also coming off a two-week layoff, which could benefit UC San Diego if they are aggressive to start the game.
College Basketball Pick: UC San Diego -2.5 (-108)
