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The Chattanooga Mocs (28-9) will try to cap off their impressive run through the NIT bracket when they face the UC Irvine Anteaters (32-6) in the championship game on Thursday night. Chattanooga has been an underdog in all four of its games, but it has pulled off an upset in each round. The Mocs are coming off an 80-73 win over Loyola Chicago in the semifinals on Tuesday. UC Irvine was favored in its first three wins in the tournament before taking down North Texas as a 1-point underdog in the semifinals. 

Tipoff from historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is set for 9 p.m. ET. The Anteaters are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Chattanooga vs. UC Irvine odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 145.5. Chattanooga's over/under for total team points is 71.5, while UC Irvine's is 74.5. Before making any UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga picks, check out the college basketball predictions from SportsLine expert Bruce Marshall.

Marshall is on a 102-73-1 roll (+2084) over his last 176 college basketball picks. Anybody who's followed his picks could be way up.

Now, he has set his sights on Chattanooga vs. UC Irvine and just locked in his NIT championship predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga:

  • UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga spread: UC Irvine -3.5
  • UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga over/under: 145.5 points                                    
  • UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga money line: UC Irvine -170, Chattanooga +142
  • UCI: The Anteaters are 24-13 against the spread this season
  • CHAT: The Mocs are 22-12 ATS this season
  • UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga picks: See who to back at SportsLine

What you need to know about UC Irvine

UC Irvine put together an impressive regular season, finishing one game behind UC San Diego atop the Big West standings. The Anteaters fell to the Tritons in the conference tournament title game, but they have salvaged their season with a strong showing in the NIT. They picked up wins over Northern Colorado, Jacksonville State and UAB before getting past North Texas in the semifinals. 

Senior forward Devin Tillis had 16 points and 11 rebounds in a double-double effort against North Texas, shooting 6 of 11 from the floor. Senior center Bent Leuchten had 14 points and nine rebounds, while senior guard Justin Hohn added 12 points and eight assists. The Anteaters have covered the spread in six of their last eight games. See which team to pick here.

What you need to know about Chattanooga 

Chattanooga has only lost one game since Jan. 23, which came in overtime against Furman in the SoCon Tournament semifinals. The Mocs immediately played a triple overtime game in their NIT opener, beating in-state foe Middle Tennessee in a 109-103 shootout. They followed that up with an 87-72 win over Dayton, despite closing as 2.5-point underdogs. 

The Mocs have added a pair of upset victories since then, taking down Bradley and Loyola Chicago. Trey Bonham scored a game-high 23 points against the Ramblers, while Honor Huff sealed the victory with a late 3-pointer. Chattanooga has covered the spread in seven of its last eight games. See which team to pick here.

How to make UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga picks

Marshall has evaluated the Chattanooga vs. UC Irvine matchup and is leaning Over on the total. He's also found a critical X-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. You can see who it is at SportsLine.

So who wins UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga, and what critical X-factor do you need to know about? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Chattanooga vs. UC Irvine spread to jump on, all from the expert who is on a 102-73-1 roll on his college basketball picks, and find out.