arizona-vs-ucla-college-basketball-preview

Betting Pick for UCLA vs Arizona

Written by on February 11, 2016

This Friday, the UCLA Bruins head to the desert to take on the #17 Arizona Wildcats. The Bruins (13-10) are in ninth place in the Pac-12 and are coming off an 80-61 drubbing by their crosstown rivals at USC. The Wildcats (19-5) are in third place in the Pac-12 and completed a sweep in the Pacific Northwest, knocking off the Washington Huskies, 77-72. Let’s take a look at this Friday night tilt. Don’t forget to check out more betting lines for NCAAB by clicking here.

How to Bet on UCLA vs Arizona and Game Info

When: Friday, January 12, 9 PM EST Where: McKale Center, Tucson, Arizona TV: ESPN Radio: SportsRadio Stream Option: WatchESPN

Why Should You Bet on the Bruins?

It’s true that the UCLA-USC game was a whipping, but the Trojans are strong this year, going 14-0 at home. They opened the game with a 9-0 run and never took their feet off the gas, and UCLA did not deal well with the pressure. However, they were game competitors, putting on a 7-0 run late in the second half as they mounted a comeback bid. If they can do some of the work inside that they did in the second half earlier against Arizona, they’ll have more of a chance to win, or at least keep the schools close. UCLA knocked off Arizona at home, so they have a better chance than they did against USC, which completed a season sweep.

Why Should You Take the Wildcats?

ucla-vs-arizona-ncaab-expert-prediction Ryan Anderson has been on fire lately, and the Arizona Wildcats have been playing better as a result. He put up 22 points and 15 boards against Washington, after he poured in 31 on Washington State. Against Washington, he had seven offensive boards thanks to the Huskies’ switching defense that left the offensive glass open. The Wildcats as a team had 21 second chance points, and Anderson was a big factor. Gabe York scored 18 (including four shots from downtown), and the Wildcats now find them with a three-game winning streak. Even though Washington dominated the start of both halves, Arizona was able to claw back and win, showing signs of grit that will pay dividends at home against UCLA. Arizona also welcomed Allonzo Trier back to the lineup, as he returned from a fractured right hand. He only played 16 minutes and fouled out with just over six minutes to go in the game, but he did give the Wildcats five straight points in the first half that staked Arizona to their first lead.

Expert Betting Pick and Final Score Prediction

I like Arizona to avenge the loss in UCLA and add to their Pac-12 winning streak, winning 76-68.