Arizona vs. UCLA Prediction & Odds
Number eight Arizona heads to Los Angeles to play #4 UCLA on ESPN at 10:00 PM ET Saturday night. Can the Bruins cover the 5-point spread as home favorites?
Arizona is 25-5 on the year with their best wins coming over Indiana and UCLA. Their worst losses came against Washington State and Stanford. The Wildcats are 14-15-1 against the spread this season.
UCLA is 26-4 this season with their best wins coming over Maryland and Kentucky. Their worst losses came against Illinois and USC. The Bruins are 17-12-1 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
717 Arizona Wildcats (+5) vs. 718 UCLA Bruins (-5); O/U 148
10:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 4, 2023
Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
Arizona vs. UCLA Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public favors the Wildcats in this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 55% of public bets are on Arizona +5. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Arizona Game Notes
Arizona’s leading scorer and rebounder is junior forward Azuolas Tubelis. The 6’11” Lithuanian national is averaging 19.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for the Wildcats this season. Both figures lead the Pac-12. Tubelis scored 14 points on 5-15 shooting in Arizona’s first game against UCLA, a 58-52 Arizona win, and he’ll try to be more efficient on Saturday.
The Wildcats’ best guard is 6’3” junior Kerr Kriisa. Kriisa leads Arizona in assists per game with 5.4 and three-pointers made with 76. The Estonian native is shooting 37.6% from deep and 78.9% from the charity stripe this season.
UCLA Game Notes
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is UCLA’s best player. The 6’7” Camarillo, California native is pouring in 17.3 points per game and pulling down 7.9 rebounds per game for the Bruins this season. Jaquez has posted career bests in field goal percentage (48.7%), free throw percentage (76.1%), assists per game (2.4), and steals per game (1.5) this year. He’ll look to put an exclamation point on a great season Saturday.
UCLA’s second-leading scorer is 6’5” junior guard Jaylen Clark. The Riverside, California native is posting 13 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Bruins on the campaign. Clark’s defense has been integral to UCLA’s success this season, as he leads the Pac-12 with 2.6 steals per game. The size and length of UCLA’s guards could prove problematic for Arizona’s backcourt Saturday.
Arizona vs. UCLA CBB Betting Trends
UCLA is 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games following an outright win.
UCLA is 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 home games against a team with a winning road record.
The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Arizona and UCLA.
The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Arizona and UCLA.
Arizona vs. UCLA CBB Prediction:
UCLA has been one of the best teams in the country both straight-up and against the spread this year. The Bruins are 26-4 straight up and 17-12-1 ATS this season. They cover the spread 58.6% of the time. But another stat jumped out to me when researching this game. UCLA is 12-8-1 against the spread when facing an opponent on equal rest. Arizona and UCLA both played games on Thursday, and they’re turning around and playing each other on Saturday. The difference for UCLA is that they had their game at home. Arizona beat USC Thursday night in Los Angeles and they’ll have to face a UCLA team on Saturday that ranks second in adjusted efficiency margin on KenPom.com and fourth in the country in the NET rankings. To top it all off, UCLA is a perfect 16-0 straight up at home this season. I think the Bruins complete their perfect season at Pauley Pavilion and win this game by multiple possessions.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: UCLA BRUINS -5
