UCLA Bruins (15-2) vs Colorado Buffaloes (11-7)
The Line: Betting Odds: UCLA Bruins — Over/Under:
The Colorado Buffaloes and UCLA Bruins face off on Saturday in a college basketball showdown at Pauley Pavilion. When these two teams faced off last January it was UCLA that secured the 71-65 victory.
Colorado comes into this game with an 11-7 record and they have gone 8-10 against the spread. In the last game against USC, Colorado scored only 61 points and they ended up losing by seven points. KJ Simpson was the best player for USC finishing with 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Colorado is averaging 74.1 points while their defense is giving up 66.7 points per game. The offense is ranked 145th in the league and they need the offense to be good here. KJ Simpson is averaging 17.8 points while shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from behind the three point line.
On the other side of this matchup is UCLA who sits with a 15-2 record and they have gone 10-7 against the spread. In the last game against Utah, UCLA gave up only 49 points and that led to the 19 point defeat. UCLA is averaging 77.2 points while their defense is giving up 60.1 points per game. The defense is ranked 17th in the league, and they need the defense to have another strong game here. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is having a strong season averaging 16.4 points while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from behind the three point line.
Colorado is 4-1 against the spread in their last five games played on Saturday. The under is 6-0 in UCLA’s last six games overall. The under is 4-0 in the Bruins last four games against a team with a winning straight up record.
UCLA’s defense has been strong heading into this game and that will continue here. Colorado in the last game scored only 61 points, and they are going to have major issues again. It might not be enough for UCLA to cover the spread, but it’s going to be enough to keep this game lower scoring. Back the under to cash here with ease.