College basketball odds on UC Riverside Highlanders will probably be high to start the season as the Highlanders have four tough road games. Experts that follow basketball odds see that UC Riverside hired Jim Wooldridge to lead the team. Experts that bet college basketball odds know that he is the sixth head coach in school history, but the fourth one in the last four seasons.
College basketball odds will show that the Highlanders are led by senior Larry Cunningham who scored 13.7 points per game a year ago. He will be needed early on according to basketball odds experts as the Highlanders travel to Texas Tech and Gonzaga. UCR’s non-conference schedule also features games against Minnesota and USC according to college basketball odds experts. Basketball odds experts see that Cunningham enters this season ranked No. 12 on the UCR all-time scoring list with 1,012 points. College basketball odds experts remember that he was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection after ranking ninth in the league in scoring and fifth in free throw percentage (.807).
Guards Chris Johnson and Charles Jim-George return this season according to college basketball odds experts. Johnson averaged 10 points per game and hit 41 three-pointers as basketball odds experts remember. Jim-George started 11 games and ranked third in the Big West in three-point field goal percentage (.455), making 30 of his 66 attempts according to those that bet college basketball odds.
The frontcourt will need some work according to college basketball odds experts. The UC Riverside Highlanders were last in the Big West in rebounding margin (-6.0) and blocked shots (1.5 bpg) according to college basketball odds experts. Opponents shot 53.7% on two-point attempts last year according to college basketball odds experts. The frontcourt will be a definite key this season for the Highlanders and how much production they get could decide how well they do this year. Expected to help according to those that bet college basketball odds, will be freshman forward Josh Scott and 6-7 redshirt junior Severin Gates. Scott helped O’Dea HS (Seattle) to Washington state titles in 2005 and 2007. Junior Christian Soto is another returnee.
Riverside will try and be competitive in the Big West this season but most college basketball odds experts don’t see them being more than a middle of the road team at best.