Washington State Cougars vs. UCLA Bruins Predictions, Picks, Odds

Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

The Washington Cougars (14-10, 7-6 Pac-12) travel to take on the UCLA Bruins (17-5, 9-4) at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on FOX Sports 1.

SCORE PREDICTION

UCLA 68, Washington State 61

BEST BETS

Washington State +10 (-110) at Circa

Under 132 (-110) at DraftKings

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS VS. UCLA BRUINS PREDICTIONS

The Cougars are in freefall, losing three consecutive games. There's not a lot of shame losing to the likes of Arizona and Oregon, but the Arizona State loss certainly hurt. The Cougars are coming off a 62-59 loss to the Ducks, but at least Wazzu picked up the cover in that game. Defense has been good for Washington State, allowing 64 or fewer points in nine of the past 10 games.

UCLA is looking to bounce back after a 67-64 loss at USC on Feb. 12 as 4.5-point favorites. The Bruins have stumbled across the past four games, going 1-3 SU/ATS. Star Johnny Juzang ended up going just 4-of-16 from the field, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in his 37 minutes. He was one of only two scorers in double digits. Jaime Jaquez Jr. also hit just 2-of-11 from the field to finish with five points, too, as UCLA just didn't have it against its crosstown rivals.

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS VS. UCLA BRUINS BETTING ODDS

• Washington State +360
• UCLA -310
• Washington State +10 (-110)
• UCLA -9 (-110)
• Over 130.5 (-110)
• Under 132 (-110)

More Odds | Futures Odds

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS VS. UCLA BRUINS BETTING RESOURCES

• Matchup: Pac-12
• Date: Thursday, February 17, 2022
• Venue: Pauley Pavilion
• Location: Los Angeles, California
• TV-Time: FS1 - 11:00 p.m. ET

• Injury Report
• Wooden Award Odds
• Conference Futures Market
• Power Rankings

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS BETTING ANALYSIS

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

• SU: 14-10
• ATS: 11-13
• O/U: 7-16-1

Washington State snapped an 0-3 ATS skid with the cover against Oregon, but they're still on a three-game losing streak overall. The offense has tanked during the losing streak, averaging just 58.0 PPG, which is over 13 points lower than the team's season average. The Cougars have started to lock it down on offense, however, allowing 62 or fewer points in eight of the past 10 games.

The Cougars have been better on the road, however, going 10-4-1 ATS in the past 15 games away from home. They're just 2-6 ATS in the past eight games following a cover.

For totals, the UNDER is 9-1 in the past 10 games overall, and 16-5 in the past 21 games, too. The UNDER is also 4-0 in the past four following a SU loss, while going 6-1 in the past seven following a cover.

UCLA BRUINS BETTING ANALYSIS

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

• SU: 17-5
• ATS: 10-11-1
• O/U: 10-12

UCLA is looking for revenge after losing to Washington State in Pullman in the most recent matchup in this series, an 81-73 loss Feb. 11, 2021 as the Cougars won outright as a 3.5-point underdog. UCLA has won just two of the past four meetings, while going 1-3 ATS in the span. The Bruins have won seven of the past nine meetings overall, although Washington State owns a 5-4 ATS record during that stretch.

The Bruins have posted a 3-0-1 ATS in the past four home games, while going 3-1-1 ATS in the past five following a straight-up loss. The Bruins have also managed a 7-2-1 ATS mark in the past 10 home outings against teams with a winning road record.

For totals, the OVER has cashed in each of the past seven games against teams with a winning record, while going 5-1 in the past six games following a straight-up loss. The OVER is 4-1 in the past five following a non-cover, too.

UCLA is 3-0-1 ATS in the past four games at home. (AP)

INSIDE THE STATS - WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS

• Record: 14-10
• PS/G: 71.2 (178th)
• PA/G: 62.5 (25th)
• ORtg: 105.4 (124th)
• DRtg: 92.4 (33rd)

INSIDE THE STATS - UCLA BRUINS

• Record: 17-5
• PS/G: 77.1 (47th)
• PA/G: 66.0 (85th)
• ORtg: 110.3 (37th)
• DRtg: 94.3 (63rd)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

• WAZZ: Michael Flowers - G (13.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG)
• WAZZ: Tyrell Roberts - G (10.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 94.3 FT%)
• UCLA: Jaime Jaquez, Jr. - G (12.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG)
• UCLA: Johnny Juzang - G (17.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 85.7 FT%)

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS VS. UCLA BRUINS BETTING CONCLUSION

Washington State is skidding, while UCLA has fallen off the pace which had them sitting in the Top 5 of the rankings and a sure-fire team for the one-line in the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins need to get back to the basics and just start shooting the basketball better. They've been way too inconsistent.

Bernard, Jaquez and Juzang should be able to get back on track against a Washington State team with 10 losses, but the Cougars do have a very good defense, so it might be a tough go, at least initially. Look for the Cougars to hold down the Bruins in the first half before UCLA starts to pull away somewhat. However, Washington State should do enough defensively to keep it within single digits.

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS VS. UCLA BRUINS BETTING TRENDS

• Washington State is 10-4-1 ATS in the past 15 road games.
• UCLA is 3-0-1 ATS in the past four home games.
• UCLA is 3-1-1 ATS in the past five games following a SU loss.
• The UNDER is 16-5 in the past 21 games overall for Washington State.
• The OVER is 4-0 in the past four vs. winning teams for Washington State.
• The OVER is 12-5 past 17 road games vs. teams with winning home record for Washington State.
• The OVER is 7-0 in the past seven vs. winning teams for UCLA.
• The UNDER is 7-1 past eight home games vs. teams with winning road record for UCLA.
• The home team is 12-4 ATS in the past 16 meetings.
• The underdog is 9-4 ATS in the past 13 meetings.

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