— Thursday, February 03rd UCLA Bruins @ Arizona Wildcats
For the second time in nine days, first place in the Pac-12 is on the line in a top-10 battle as the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats (17-2, 7-1) take on the No. 3 UCLA Bruins (16-2, 8-1). When they played on January 25, the rankings were reversed, but UCLA won at home by 16. Thursday’s tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN from McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona.
UCLA won the first matchup 75-59 and lead the all-time series 62-44. The Bruins have won six in a row against Arizona, dating back to the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament. Last year UCLA won by 15 in Tucson, and they have won their last four trips to Arizona, with the Wildcats last winning at home in 2017.
Bruins Heating Up
UCLA is 9-8-1 ATS, and the under is 10-8 in their 18 games. They have covered in four straight games and are 5-0 in true road games this season. They are 2-1 against top-10 teams this season with wins over Arizona and Villanova.
UCLA ranks 39th in the nation in scoring at 78 ppg, and they shoot 35.4 percent from deep. The defense allows 63.9 ppg, and opponents shoot 31.8 percent from the 3-point range.
In the first meeting, UCLA took an 11-point halftime lead and never looked back. Johnny Juang and Jules Bernard had 15 points each, while Cody Riley had 12, and Jaime Jaquez Jr had 10. UCLA shot 50% from the field, made 8-of-17 from deep and limited Arizona to 30.7% shooting
Juzang leads the Bruins in scoring at 18.1 ppg while Bernard (13.2), Jaquez (12.3), and Tyger Campbell (11.1) are also in double figures. Jaquez played just seven minutes in the Stanford game with an ankle injury and is questionable for Thursday night.
Wildcats Have Size
The Wildcats are 11-7-1 ATS, and the over is 10-9 in their 19 games this season. They haven’t covered in the last two games, which have also both gone under. Arizona is 11-0 at home this year, and they are 1-1 against ranked teams.
Arizona ranks third in the nation in scoring at 86.0 ppg, and they lead the nation in rebounding with 43.4 per game. The Wildcats shoot 48 percent from the floor and 33.1 percent from the 3-point range. The defense allows 64.5 ppg, and they rank second in the nation allowing just 36.8 percent shooting.
In the first matchup, Arizona won the rebounding battle by 15 but lost the turnover battle by six. Benedict Mathurin led the team with 16 points but did so on 5-of-22 shooting. Kerr Kriisa was 0-for-12 from the field, with nine of his attempts coming from 3-point range as the Wildcats were 7-of-28 from deep.
Mathurin has scored in double figures in nearly every game this season and leads the team in scoring at 17.2 ppg. Azuolas Tubelis is next at 14.2 ppg to go with 6.1 rpg, and Christian Koloko averages 13.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg. Kerr Kriisa averages 10.6 ppg and leads the Wildcats with 45 3-pointers, three more than Mathurin.
Betting Analysis
- UCLA Bruins +7 (-110) . Money Line +250
- Arizona Wildcats -7 (-110). Money Line -320
- Total Points 146.0 Over -105, Under -115
Arizona is the best rebounding team in the country, and they showed that against UCLA in the first meeting. On the other side, UCLA doesn’t turn the ball over, and their defense has limited four of the last five opponents to less than 60 points. Arizona will shoot better than they did in the first matchup, but this is too many points in a top-10 matchup.
Betting Pick: UCLA +7 (-110)
For more NCAAB betting picks and previews, check out our picks page.