Arizona vs UCLA Betting Preview
College basketball handicapper JM Sports breaks down tonight’s Arizona vs UCLA showdown in the Pac-12. At the time of posting, the Wildcats have opened as a 2.5-point road favorite over the home Bruins, with the total sitting at 151 points.
Check out our College Basketball Free Picks page for betting thoughts from some of the country’s top handicappers.
Tuesday, January 25 | Pac-12 Basketball Betting Notes |
---|---|
Point Spread: | Arizona Wildcats -2.5 vs UCLA Bruins |
Total: | 151 Points |
Game Time: | 11:00pm ET / 8:00pm PT |
Arena: | Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA |
TV: | ESPN |
Arizona vs UCLA Analysis
Tonight’s match-up at the Pauley Pavilion is set to be one of the best ones we have seen so far this year. The top two teams in the Pac-12 square off, on top of the fact that both these teams are in to AP top-10! The 3rd ranked team in the country, Arizona, heads to UCLA to take on the 7th ranked Bruins in a battle for 1st place in the Pac-12. Arizona looks to defend their five game win streak against UCLA who has lost just one game at home this season, and is on a three game win streak themselves.
Arizona Wildcats
Arizona is the 3rd best team in the country for a reason, and they have shown it thus far this year. They have lost just one game on the year, thanks to the #8 offense & #9 defensive in terms of efficiency, according to KenPom. Arizona is outscoring opponents by over 14 PPG on average this year, while holding the #7 ranking in effective FG%, posting the #5 ranking in shooting percentage inside the arc.
The fact that they are the #2 team in terms of average height has helped on the offensive end, but it has also been a key factor in the #2 ranking in effective FG% allowed and has put them at the top of the list in 2PT% allowed to the opposition. This is the 4th game that Arizona has played against a top-50 offenses, allowing just 62 points to Michigan (#20 offense), 65 to Wyoming (#35 offense) and 77 points to Tennessee (#50 offense) in their only loss on the season.
On the defensive side, this is the 6th time they have faced a top-60 defense this year, posting 78.8 PPG in those 5 games, with a 4-1 record to show against those teams. Arizona is shooting over 50% on the year, resulting in almost 89 PPG and holding opponents to just 64.4 PPG on 36.2% shooting.
Arizona may have a 1-5 record in recent years coming off three straight wins against conference rivals, but in a game with two teams who outscore their opponents by 8+ PPG on average off two straight blowout wins of 20+ points is 158-98 in the last five years, winning 62% of the time.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA is here to prove that they are the top team in the Pac-12, but you have to beat the best to prove you are the best. UCLA is 13-2 on the year, with a 7-1 record at home, and a 5-1 record against conference opponents thus far. They are outscoring opponents by almost 13 PPG, while posting almost 89 PPG on their home court, similar to the numbers the #3 team in the nation is putting up.
KenPom has UCLA ranked at #13 in the country overall, but they hold the 17th best offense and the 21st ranked defense in the country. They have controlled the ball well, as the 7th best team in turnover percentage, while playing a harder schedule than Arizona so far, coming it at #47 in strength of schedule.
So far this season, UCLA has played 3 teams with top-30 offenses, including two teams in the top-10, allowing 77 points to Villanova (#6 offense), 83 to Gonzaga (#2) and 84 to Oregon (#26), with Gonzaga and Oregon being their only 2 losses on the season.
This is the best defense that they have seen on the year though, but good defenses aren’t a new concept to UCLA, as they have played 5 teams with top-55 ranked defenses. They are averaging 72 PPG against Villanova (#18), Gonzaga (#14), Colorado (x2 // #53) and Marquette (#24), resulting in a 4-1 record.
Arizona vs UCLA Prediction
UCLA has won all four match-ups between these two teams in the last three years, dating back to 1997, UCLA holds a slight 27-26 edge, but they are 13-8 on their home court. Impressively, it isn’t just Arizona, UCLA has won 66.7% of their games against conference opponents in the last three years and UCLA looks to continue that run, in an attempt to sit atop the conference standings with a win against Arizona today.
Prediction: Arizona (-2.5); UCLA has been impressive and if they can shut down the offense of this Arizona team they have a chance, but I am going with Arizona because UCLA has yet to prove that they can shut down a legitimate offense in their last two attempts.
Interested in placing a bet on tonight’s Arizona vs UCLA contest? DraftKings is offering a $1,000 Deposit Bonus for first-time bettors in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia, Wyoming and Arizona.
Tuesday’s NCAAB Notes:
🏀Toledo is 12-0 when scoring 70+ points this season.
🏀Mississippi State is 13-5 this season but still hasn’t won a road game.
🏀The over is 10-2 in Oregon’s last 12 games.
➡️https://t.co/RHOuvHZvdC pic.twitter.com/RcU3Nj1EqV— GoldSheet (@thegoldsheet) January 25, 2022
Arizona vs UCLA Preview from GoldSheet
College Basketball Stat Sheet
GoldSheet prepares a daily college basketball stat sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Tuesday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Arizona vs UCLA contest.
Happy Hour Tip-Off Show
Get your daily fix of college hoops betting information with Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of handicapping guests. The Happy Hour Tip-Off Show will broadcast Monday through Friday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT. Pull up a barstool and join us as we break down tonight’s college basketball card, including this Arizona vs UCLA clash, from a sports betting perspective.
NCAAB Odds Screen
Sportsmemo’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the college basketball point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Tuesday’s NCAAB games, including this Arizona vs UCLA showdown, from your desktop or phone.
**************************************************
Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?
- Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Live odds updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.
- Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips to help you become a better sports bettor. Wee also recommend browsing through our sports betting tips video library.
- Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.
Make sure to bookmark all the above!