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College Basketball

Arizona Wildcats vs. UCLA Bruins Predictions, Picks, Odds

Daniel Dobish
Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read

The Arizona Wildcats (16-1, 6-0 Pac-12) travel to meet the UCLA Bruins (13-2, 5-1) at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday night for meeting between Top 10 teams for the top spot in the Pac-12 conference. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN.

SCORE PREDICTION

Arizona 78, UCLA 71

BEST BETS

Arizona -145 ML at BetMGM

Arizona -2.5 (-110) at BetMGM

Under 152.5 (-110) at BetMGM

ARIZONA WILDCATS VS. UCLA BRUINS PREDICTIONS

The Wildcats have racked up five consecutive victories, each inside the conference, while winning six in a row to begin league play this season. Arizona is coming off a 96-71 victory at California, posting a season-high point total in Pac-12 play. Arizona hit 31-of-64 from the field, or 48%, while knocking down 11-of-27, or 41%, from behind the 3-point line. And while Cal turned it over just four times to eight for Arizona, the Wildcats made up for it with a 42-to-34 rebounding advantage. Arizona had five players go for 10 or more points, including a double-double from Christian Koloko with 19 points and 13 rebounds while posting three blocked shots.

The Bruins have posted eight victories in the past nine games, with just an overtime setback against Oregon on Jan. 13 as the only blemish since league play started. The cover at Colorado on Saturday, a 71-65 win as a 3.5-point favorite, was the team's first in six games after an 0-4-1 ATS slide. UCLA hasn't covered consecutive games since opening the season with a pair of covers against Cal State Bakersfield and Villanova on Nov. 9-12.

ARIZONA WILDCATS VS. UCLA BRUINS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

ARIZONA WILDCATS VS. UCLA BRUINS BETTING RESOURCES

  • Matchup: Pac-12
  • Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2022
  • Venue: Pauley Pavilion
  • Location: Los Angeles, California
  • TV-Time: ESPN - 11:00 p.m. ET

ARIZONA WILDCATS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 16-1
  • ATS: 11-5-1
  • O/U: 10-7

The big story for Arizona is the questionable status for F Azuolas Tubelis, who turned an ankle in Thursday's game against Stanford. He missed the Cal game, although the Wildcats didn't skip a beat in his absence. Still, facing the Bruins without him would be quite different than facing off against the mediocre Cardinal without him.

Arizona has registered five consecutive victories, going 3-1 ATS across the past four games overall. It's looking for a third straight cover for the first time since a 5-0 ATS run from Nov. 21-Dec. 11. The OVER result against California last time out was also the first in four games.

Arizona has cashed in each of the past four as a road favorite, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six games overall on the road. The Wildcats are also 11-5-1 ATS in the past 17 games overall, while going 10-4-1 ATS in the past 15 as a favorite. Arizona is also 6-2-1 ATS in the past nine against winning teams.

For totals, the UNDER has cashed in five of the past seven games overall, while going 5-2 in the past seven against teams with a winning overall record. On the flip side, the OVER is 6-2 in the past eight as a road favorite, while going 10-4 in the past 14 overall when favored. The

UCLA BRUINS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 13-2
  • ATS: 6-8-1
  • O/U: 7-8

UCLA scratched out a pair of victories at Utah and at Colorado Thursday and Saturday, hitting the UNDER in each of the outings. The last time the Bruins faced a ranked team was Nov. 23, 10 games ago. That was an 83-63 beatdown at the hands of the Bulldogs. In fact, that was one of just two meetings against a ranked foe to date.

The Bruins enter Tuesday's game with a 1-4-1 ATS mark across the past six games, and they're 0-3-1 ATS in the past four home games since its last cover at Pauley against North Florida way back on Nov. 17. UCLA is 6-1 ATS in the past seven as an underdog, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six as a home 'dog.

For totals, the Bruins have cashed the UNDER in eight of the past 11 games overall, while hitting the UNDER in five of the past seven against teams with a winning overall record. The UNDER is 5-1 in the past six as a home 'dog, too, while the OVER is 7-2 in the past nine at home.


UCLA is 6-1 ATS in the past seven games as an underdog. (AP)

INSIDE THE STATS - ARIZONA WILDCATS

  • Record: 16-1
  • VI Ranking: 3
  • PS/G: 88.7 (2nd)
  • PA/G: 64.4 (68th)
  • ORtg: 116.8 (5th)
  • DRtg: 84.7 (3rd)

INSIDE THE STATS - UCLA BRUINS

  • Record: 13-2
  • VI Ranking: 5
  • PS/G: 78.8 (36th)
  • PA/G: 66.1 (106th)
  • ORtg: 112.9 (25th)
  • DRtg: 94.7 (91st)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

  • ZONA: Bennedict Mathurin - G (17.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 38.6 3P%)
  • ZONA: Azuolas Tubelis - F (15.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.0 BPG)
  • UCLA: Jules Bernard - G (13.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 35.2 3P%)
  • UCLA: Johnny Juzang - G (18.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 38.2 3P%)

ARIZONA WILDCATS VS. UCLA BRUINS BETTING CONCLUSION

UCLA has dominated this series lately, going 5-0 SU/ATS across the past five meetings, while the UNDER has connected in five of the past seven in the series. UCLA swept the season series against Arizona, including a 74-60 win at Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 18, 2021 in front of zero fans due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

While Arizona has been humming along lately, and look like a good bet to win this game outright when it is whole. However, the health status for Tubelis makes Arizona a risky early bet. If he is ruled out, Arizona is a much riskier play. If Tubelis is given the green light to play, the Wildcats are a bargain as a mid-level money line play. I like Arizona to win this game straight up, and the UNDER has been the rule in this series lately.

ARIZONA WILDCATS VS. UCLA BRUINS BETTING TRENDS

  • Arizona is 11-5-1 ATS in the past 17 games overall.
  • Arizona is 5-1 ATS in the past six road games.
  • Arizona is 10-4-1 ATS in the past 15 as a favorite.
  • Arizona is 4-0 ATS in the past four as a road favorite.
  • Arizona is 6-2-1 ATS in the past nine vs. winning teams.
  • UCLA is 1-4-1 ATS in the past six games overall.
  • UCLA is 0-4-1 ATS in the past five home games.
  • UCLA is 6-1 ATS in the past seven games as an underdog.
  • UCLA is 5-1 ATS in the past six as a home underdog.
  • The UNDER is 5-2 in the past seven games for Arizona.
  • The UNDER is 5-2 in the past seven vs. winning teams for Arizona.
  • The OVER is 10-4 in the past 14 games as a favorite for Arizona.
  • The UNDER is 8-3 in the past 11 games for UCLA.
  • The OVER is 7-2 in the past nine home games for UCLA.
  • The UNDER is 5-2 in the past seven vs. winning teams for UCLA.
  • The underdog is 17-4 ATS in the past 21 meetings.

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Daniel Dobish

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish
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