Seven-seed UCLA and 2-seed Tennessee both remain in Lexington to face each other on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The game is at 9:40 PM ET on TBS/truTV. Can Tennessee cover the 5.5-point spread as neutral site favorites? Keep reading for our UCLA vs. Tennessee prediction.
The UCLA Bruins are 23-10 straight up overall this year. They are 19-13-1 ATS this season.
The Tennessee Volunteers are 28-7 straight up overall this year. They are 18-17 ATS this season.
UCLA vs. Tennessee Matchup & Betting Odds
821 UCLA Bruins (+5.5) vs. 822 Tennessee Volunteers (-5.5); o/u 131.5
9:40 p.m. ET, Saturday, March 22, 2025
Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
TV: TBS/truTV
UCLA vs. Tennessee Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 75% of public bettors are currently backing Tennessee when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
UCLA Bruins Game Notes
Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. was solid in his team’s 72-47 first-round win over Utah State on Thursday. In 23 minutes, the sophomore from Palmetto, FL recorded 14 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Dailey shot 5 of 11 from the floor and 4 of 4 from the foul line in the victory.
UCLA center Aday Mara was electric off the bench in his team’s game on Thursday. The 7’3” sophomore logged 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 blocks in 20 minutes. Mara is shooting 60.7% from the field this season.
Tennessee Volunteers Game Notes
Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier was exceptional in his team’s 77-62 win over Wofford on Thursday. The fifth-year senior from Nashville registered 29 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, 2 steals, and a blocked shot across 35 minutes. Lanier shot 11 of 22 from the field and 6 of 13 from long distance in the win.
Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler posted a double-double in his team’s game on Thursday. The senior from Long Island, NY accumulated 12 points, 12 assists, 2 steals, and 2 made three-pointers in 36 minutes of game action. Zeigler is second on the club in scoring with 13.7 points per game this season.
UCLA vs. Tennessee CBB Betting Trends
UCLA is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
The Bruins are 33-24-1 ATS as an underdog since the start of the 2019 season.
Tennessee is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Tennessee is 5-11 ATS in NCAA Tournament games since the start of the 2015 season.
UCLA vs. Tennessee CBB Prediction:
Mick Cronin has been the head coach of UCLA since 2019. He took the Bruins to the Final Four in 2021 and has had a lot of success in his six years at the helm in Westwood. The numbers show that Cronin has been a boon for bettors over the past half-decade. Since 2019, UCLA is 9-4 ATS in NCAA Tournament games and 30-12-1 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest. Additionally, since the start of the 2019 season, the Bruins are 78-54-5 ATS after a win and 42-31-1 ATS in non-conference games. The public is all over Tennessee in this matchup, but I’m not. I like the Bruins to cover on Saturday. The pick is UCLA +5.5 points over Tennessee at Bovada.lv.