The Arizona Wildcats (23-6) travel to face off against the UCLA Bruins (14-15) on Thursday, March 7th. This game will be played at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles and televised on ESPN. Arizona is coming off a win in their previous game, while UCLA is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Washington State. Tip-off is set for 9:30 ET.
Arizona Wildcats vs UCLA Bruins
The Arizona Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Arizona is 23-6 this season, including a 14-4 record in Pac-12 play. The Wildcats have won three straight games and are 7-5 on the road this year.
On the season, Arizona is 21-6 when favored, and they have been favored in 27 of their 29 games. The Wildcats’ average scoring margin on the road is +4.2, and they have won four straight games away from home.
Arizona has been solid vs the spread this season, going 19-10. They have gone 7-5 vs the spread on the road this year and have an overall ATS record of 5-5 in their last 10 road games. As the favorite, the Wildcats have gone 6-4 vs the spread in their last 10 games.
Arizona’s over/under record this season sits at 14-14-1. The average scoring total in their games is 163.6 points, which is higher than the average over/under line of 158.4. So far, 25 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line of 147.
The UCLA Bruins Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
UCLA enters this game with a record of 14-15 and a four-game losing streak. In Pac-12 play, the Bruins are 9-9 compared to their non-conference record of 5-6. At home, UCLA is 8-8 this season, and over their last 10 games at home, they are just 4-6.
So far this season, the Bruins have been the underdog in 14 games, going 5-9 in those matchups. Most recently, they lost to Washington State by a score of 77-65.
UCLA has struggled against the spread this season, going just 12-15-2. Their ATS mark at home is just 5-11 and they are 3-7 vs. the spread in their last 10 games at home. As the underdog, the Bruins are 9-5 vs. the spread this year and have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games as the underdog.
UCLA’s over/under record for the season is 11-18 and the average over/under line in their games is 134.6. Today’s over/under line of 147 is higher than the average scoring total in their games this year of 131.7. So far, 25 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total is 143 points.
Arizona Offense Breakdown
In their latest game, Arizona’s offense looked good, scoring 103 points against Oregon. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 60.9% and made 11/19 free throws. Currently leading the team in scoring is Caleb Love who comes into today’s matchup averaging 19.4. Pelle Larsson also heads into the game with a PPG average of 13.3.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Love (G) | 19.4 | 5.1 | 3.5 |
| Pelle Larsson (G) | 13.3 | 4.3 | 3.7 |
| Oumar Ballo (C) | 13.1 | 10.2 | 0.9 |
UCLA Offense Breakdown
In their most recent game, the UCLA offense put up just 65 points vs. the Washington State Cougars. Overall, they are now averaging 66.2 points per game which is 408th in the country. On the offensive front, the Bruins have a season-long field goal percentage of 41%, ranking 348th nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 370th in terms of percentage and 345th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian Mack (G) | 12.8 | 3.6 | 1.7 |
| Adem Bona (F) | 12.2 | 5.8 | 1.2 |
| Lazar Stefanovic (G) | 11.4 | 6.2 | 1.6 |
Arizona Team Defense
Arizona’s defense is currently in line with the NCAA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 73.3 points per game. In their most recent game, the Arizona defense struggled to defend the three-point line, as Oregon knocked down 14 three-pointers on their way to 83 points.
UCLA Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the UCLA defense is giving up an average of 65.5 points per contest. UCLA’s three-point defense is currently 163rd in the country at 7.4 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.6% of their shots vs. UCLA.
Wildcats vs Bruins Trends
- When looking at their past ten road matchups, Arizona has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 88 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
- Across the Bruins last ten home games, the team averaged 66 points per game while allowing 71. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-3-1, while going 5-5 straight-up.
- In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Bruins have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
- The Wildcats have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.
Wildcats vs Bruins Prediction
Coming in as the underdogs at +9, we have the Bruins as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 147, and our model predicts the Wildcats and Bruins to score a combined 144 points. We recommend betting on the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 7, 2024 Arizona Wildcats, UCLA Bruins