College Basketball: Long Beach State at Pacific

Pacific looks like the right side against Long Beach St. Both teams turned over rosters, but the talent gap favors the Tigers right now, and the market hasn’t fully priced it. Long Beach St appears headed for a long season—thin experience, shaky shot creation, and questions defending without fouling. That’s a tough mix on the road against a lineup that can score at multiple spots and keep pressure on the rim.

Motivation adds juice here. T.J. Wainwright transferred from Long Beach to Pacific and will be locked in to punish switches and hunt mismatches. Returnee Elias Ralph supplies glue—rebounding, extra-possession plays, and face-up touches that keep the offense humming. Jaden Clayton stabilizes late-clock possessions at the point, and Kajus Kublickas brings SEC size and pace to the backcourt rotation. That blend gives Pacific more ways to win each four-minute segment.

Keys: win turnover margin, live at the line, and dominate second-chance opportunities. If Pacific keeps The Beach out of transition and forces half-court execution, the Tigers’ depth and shot quality should separate over 40 minutes. With the spread now -10.5 in most spots, it’s still Pacific.

Pick:
Long Beach State 61
Pacific 80