UC San Diego, from the Big West, is 9-1 so far this season, and they're at Loyola Marymount, from the WCC, at 7-3. What I like most about San Diego is that they are sharpshooters with tremendous accuracy, shooting 50.4% from the field and 40.2% from three-point range, which is the fourth best in the nation. They score 84 points a game and allow 71. Their only loss on the year was by six at Nevada, and their only non-cover on the season was at Long Beach State, where they won by six, and the spread was eight. San Diego is looking like a serious candidate to make the NCAA tournament again. San Diego to cover.

With a new coach and a mostly-new lineup, few Big West onlookers were expecting UCSD to replicate its 30 wins of a year ago. Yet promoted HC Clint Allard effectively mined the portal for a new look, including F Leo Beath (19.1 ppg) via FAU, and the Tritons still seem the best side in their loop. Scoring better than 84 ppg and hitting better than 50% from the floor and 40% beyond the arc, UCSD can connect from all angles, and has only stumbled at Nevada in a challenging early slate. Meanwhile, LMU's recent back-to-back losses vs. Stony Brook & Saint Louis suggest the Lions might be losing some steam. Play UCSD.