Oregon vs UCLA Predictions and Betting Preview
Sportsmemo handicapper JM Sports offers his Oregon vs UCLA betting preview in the Pac 12 Conference for Thursday, February 24. At the time of posting, the Bruins are a 3-point road favorite against the home Ducks, with the total sitting at 138.5 points.
Check out our College Basketball Free Picks page for betting thoughts from some of the country’s top handicappers.
Thursday, February 24 | Pac 12 Conference Betting Notes |
---|---|
Point Spread: | Oregon Ducks +3 vs UCLA Bruins |
Total: | 138.5 Points |
Game Time: | 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT |
Arena: | Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, OR |
TV: | ESPN |
Oregon vs UCLA Analysis
The strength of the Pac 12 is apparent when you look at a UCLA team that is 12-4 in the conference and 20-5 on the season, yet they currently are ranked 3rd in the respective conference.
They have won three straight games, but they still find themselves behind USC and Arizona, on top of looking to avenge a loss to Oregon earlier in the season in an overtime heartbreaker. UCLA is 7-3 on the road this season, putting up over 70 PPG, but failing to cover the spread by nearly two PPG.
UCLA Holding Their Own on Defense
The Bruins have played one of the harder schedules this year ranking #40 in difficulty, but they have been able to post an impressive record behind an offense that is ranked 15th in efficiency, and a defense that is ranked 12th.
While they have cashed in on four out of the last five games, they have struggled against the top-tier competition, breaking even at 4-4 against teams that rank in KenPom’s top 75 overall.
Their defense has held teams to just 59 PPG in their last five, allowing the opposition to shoot just 40.1%, while that is impressive in a five game stretch, they have held conference opponents to 62.6 PPG, holding the Pac 12 to just 40.3% shooting on the year in the 16 conference games.
Ducks Laying Duds Against Tough Opponents
Oregon finds themselves just one spot behind UCLA in conference rankings, but they are fighting for their chance to even secure a spot in the tournament in March.
They are 10-6 in conference play, but just 7-4 against non-conference opponents. They come in ranking #72 overall in KenPom’s numbers, mostly thanks to an offense that is ranked in the top-50 in efficiency, relying mainly on the shooting inside the arc.
Oregon has been impressive on their home court posting an 11-4 record, winning by over 11 PPG, but in just the last five games overall, the team has shot just 40.6%.
Oregon’s struggles on the season have come in the hardest moments of their schedule, as they look to secure a spot in March Madness, losing the big games isn’t the best way to go about that.
They are just 3-5 against offenses that rank in the top-75 in terms of efficiency, allowing 77 PPG against those top units, while they are just 3-6 and posting under 67 PPG against the top 50 defensive units that they have faced off against.
Oregon vs UCLA Prediction
The big issue for Oregon comes from the fact that they rank 217th in the country defending shots inside the arc, while UCLA scores nearly 55% of their points from two point range, while the score doesn’t run up quite as fast from inside the arc, the consistency from UCLA could cause a big issue for the Ducks.
Prediction: UCLA -3
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Oregon vs UCLA GoldSheet Preview
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 Thursday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Oregon vs UCLA contest.
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