— Tuesday, January 25th Arizona Wildcats @ UCLA Bruins
Tuesday brings a top-10 matchup in the Pac-12 as the No. 3 Arizona Wildcats (16-1, 6-0) take on the No. 7 UCLA Bruins (13-2, 5-1) for first place in the conference. This game was originally scheduled for the end of December but was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN from Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
The teams will meet again in Tucson next Thursday. UCLA leads the all-time series 61-44 and have won five straight since a Pac-12 Tournament loss in Las Vegas in March 2018. Last year UCLA won by 14 at home and by 15 on the road, with the Wildcats’ last win at Pauley coming just over five years ago.
Balanced Offense for Wildcats
The Wildcats are 11-5-1 ATS, and the over is 10-7 in their 17 games this season. They are 4-1 on the road, with their only loss of the season coming at ranked Tennessee right before Christmas. Their only win over a team ranked at the time was against Michigan back in November on a neutral floor.
Arizona ranks second in the nation in scoring at 88.7 ppg, and they lead the nation in rebounding with 43.4 per game. The Wildcats shoot 50.1 percent from the floor and 35 percent from the 3-point range. The defense allows 64.4 ppg, and they rank second in the nation allowing just 36.2 percent shooting.
Benedict Mathurin leads the team in scoring at 17.5 ppg, but the Wildcats have a balanced offense with seven players averaging at least 7.0 ppg. Azuolas Tubelis is at 15.1 ppg to go with 6.1 rpg, and Christian Koloko averages 13.2 ppg and 7.2 rpg. Kerr Kriisa (11.5), Justin Kier (8.2), Oumar Ballo (7.2), and Dalen Terry (7.0) round out the top seven scorers.
Mathurin has scored at least 10 points in every game this season except for one. He had 14 in the blowout of California over the weekend, while Koloko had a 19 point, 13 rebound double double. Ballo (14) and Kier (10) had double digits off the bench, while Kriisa finished with 13 on 4-of-9 shooting from deep.
Juzang Leads Bruins
UCLA is 6-8-1 ATS, and the under is 8-7 in their 15 games. They are 7-1 at home, with the loss coming in overtime to Oregon earlier this month. This will be their third game against a top-5 opponent as they beat No. 4 Villanova and lost to No. 1 Gonzaga back in November.
UCLA ranks 36th in the nation in scoring at 78.8 ppg, and they shoot 36.2 percent from deep. The defense allows 66.1 ppg, and opponents shoot 33.7 percent from the 3-point range. The Bruins grab 38.1 rpg and only turn the ball over 9.6 times per contest.
Johnny Juzang leads the Bruins in scoring at 18.3 ppg while Jules Bernard averages 13.0. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (12.9) and Tyger Campbell (11.5) are also in double figures for Mick Cronin’s squad. Jaquez and center Myles Johnson lead the team in rebounding with 5.6 each, while Campbell has handed out 4.3 apg.
UCLA won at Colorado over the weekend as Juzang scored 23. The Bruins nearly let a big lead slip away but held on late to win 71-65. Jaquez scored 14, and Bernard had nine in the game as UCLA made 6-of-14 from 3-point range.
Betting Analysis
- Arizona Wildcats -2.5 (-115) Money line -145
- UCLA Bruins +2.5 (-105) Money line +125
- Total Points 151.5 Over -105, Under -115
Arizona has been playing spectacular basketball this month, with conference wins by 18, 28, 25, 21, and 16. UCLA has struggled with some of the same opponents, winning three of their last four by single digits and losing to Oregon. Arizona won’t be intimidated by the venue or the name on the jersey and will use their relentless attack to take down the Bruins.
Betting Pick: Arizona -2.5 (-115)
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