Arizona (4-4) vs. UCLA (8-1)
December 14, 2024 3:00 pm EDT
The Line: UCLA +2.5; Over/Under: 148.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Arizona Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins meet Saturday in college basketball action from Footprint Center. Here’s a UCLA vs Arizona prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UCLA vs Arizona pick.
Arizona Wildcats Betting Preview
Arizona got off to a good start with blowout wins over Canisius and Old Dominion in their first pair, but they’ve lost four of six since then. The Wildcats have fallen to Wisconsin, Duke, Oklahoma, and West Virginia in that stretch.
In their last matchup versus Southern Utah, the Wildcats were able to get another W. Arizona scored 55 points in the first half and 47 more in the second on the way to a 102-66 result. Anthony Dell’Orso came off the bench to contribute a team-high 19 points.
UCLA Bruins Betting Preview
Over on the UCLA side, they took a loss to New Mexico in game two but it’s been all wins since then. The Bruins have rolled past Boston U, Lehigh, Idaho State, CSU Fullerton, Southern Utah, Washington, and Oregon.
Matched up against Oregon back on Sunday, the Bruins held a one-point deficit going into the second half. UCLA hit a 40-37 run the rest of the way, however, resulting in an upset win 73-71. Eric Dailey was the high man with 19 points and five boards.
Why the Arizona Wildcats will win
- Arizona has won each of its last five games played at neutral venues against UCLA.
- UCLA has lost each of its last five games against non-conference opponents at neutral venues.
- Arizona has won the first half in nine of its last 10 day games against AP-ranked opponents.
Why the UCLA Bruins will win
- UCLA has won each of its last seven games.
- Arizona has lost each of its last four games against AP-ranked opponents.
- UCLA has won the first half in each of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
UCLA vs Arizona Prediction
I’ll take a stab at Arizona. The Wildcats drilled a relatively solid Southern Utah team in their last matchup, hitting 50 percent from the field with 47 rebounds and 23 team assists. Arizona’s record over the last six games doesn’t look that great (2-4), but they’ve been competitive in the last two losses.
As for UCLA, they’re riding high after the big win versus Oregon. The Bruins were out-rebounded 33-23 in that one but scored 16 points off 13 Ducks turnovers for the upset. That makes 69 or more points in all eight wins so far (64 in the lone loss). In a tough road game, Arizona is going to have to hit the gas offensively here. That said, the Wildcats have nothing to lose after a rough stretch recently and may as well play it loose.
