The Chattanooga Mocs take on the UC Irvine Anteaters in the NIT Championship. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
UC Irvine is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -185. The total is set at 147.5 points.
Here’s my Chattanooga vs. UC Irvine predictions and college basketball picks for April 3, 2025.
Chattanooga vs UC Irvine Prediction
My Pick: UC Irvine -3.5
My Chattanooga vs UC Irvine best bet is on the Anteaters spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Chattanooga vs UC Irvine Odds
| Chattanooga Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -102 | 147.5 -108o / -112u | +154 |
| UC Irvine Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -118 | 147.5 -108o / -112u | -185 |
- Chattanooga vs UC Irvine spread: UC Irvine -3.5
- Chattanooga vs UC Irvine over/under: 147.5 points
- Chattanooga vs UC Irvine moneyline: UC Irvine -185, Chattanooga +154
- Chattanooga vs UC Irvine best bet: UC Irvine -3.5
Spread
I'm taking the Anteaters on the spread.
Moneyline
There's no value on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I don't have a play on the total.
My Pick: UC Irvine -3.5
Chattanooga vs UC Irvine College Basketball Betting Preview
The NIT Championship is here. The 28-9 Chattanooga Mocs take on the 32-6 UC Irvine Anteaters.
Chattanooga is 3.5-point underdogs on Thursday despite finishing 15-3 in the SoCon this season. The Mocs have only lost two games since January 23, as they were one of the hottest mid-major teams in the second half of the season.
Chattanooga is led by junior guard Honor Huff, who's been outstanding in the NIT. Huff is averaging almost 17 points per game in this event.
UC Irvine is the favorite in Thursday's matchup, as it went 17-3 in the Big West this season. The Anteaters fell just short of making the NCAA Tournament, losing to UC Davis in the Big West Championship.
Devin Tillis is the man to watch out for the Anteaters. He's having a fantastic NIT, averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting the 3-ball at an insane rate.
When looking at this matchup, these two teams couldn't be any more different. UC Irvine is a very good defensive team where as Chattanooga is not. Chattanooga shoots the 3 very well and UC Irvine does not.
The difference in this ball game, though, will be Bent Leuchten. Leuchten is a 7-foot-1 senior from Germany. Leuchten averages 15.4 points and nine rebounds per game while shooting 82.2% from the charity stripe.
Chattanooga has no answer for the seven footer. Chattanooga’s biggest guy is a 6-foot-10 freshman who averages 5.6 points and 12 minutes per game.
Collin Mulholland is going to have to step up on Thursday, but that's a lot to ask for a guy who only plays 12 minutes per game. Leuchten is a solid big who can do it all and causes problems, and we saw that in the semifinals against North Texas.
I think that this game will be close around halftime, but with how well UC Irvine shoots its free throws, I expect it to pull away late.
