UCLA Bruins (31-5) vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs (30-5)
March 23, 2023 9:45 pm EDT
The Line: UCLA Bruins -2.5 / Gonzaga Bulldogs +2.5; Over/Under: +145.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Gonzaga Bulldogs and the UCLA Bruins meet in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup from the T-Mobile Arena on Thursday night.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Team Recap
The Gonzaga Bulldogs punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 by virtue of an 84-81 win over TCU in their last matchup. Drew Timme led the Zags with 28 points on 12 of 21 shooting with 8 rebounds and 3 assists while Rasir Bolton added 17 points and Malachi Smith added 11 points with 3 threes off of the bench. Julian Strawther added 10 points with 9 rebounds to cap off the group of double-digit scorers for Gonzaga in the winning effort while Anton Watson added 9 points with team-highs of 12 rebounds and 3 steals as well in the victory.
UCLA Bruins Team Recap
The UCLA Bruins booked their spot in the Sweet 16 thanks to a 68-63 win over Northwestern last time out. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Bruins with 24 points on 11 of 19 shooting with a team-high 8 rebounds and 4 assists while Amari Bailey had 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting with 6 assists and Tyger Campbell added 12 points, all coming from the free throw line, along with a team-high 7 assists and a pair of steals to cap off the trio of double-digit scorers for UCLA in the win.
Trends
Gonzaga is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS loss while the over is 4-1 in their last 5 games following an ATS loss. UCLA is 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall and 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games while the over is 6-1 in their last 7 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600.
Pick
I’m leaning towards Gonzaga here. I’m thinking that this could be a spot where the loss of Jaylen Clark hurts the Bruins, as the Zags are just as good with hurting you in a bunch of different ways. I think it’s fair to assume that UCLA is the far better defensive team here, but I think Gonzaga can find their gaps and keep this one tight if they don’t win it outright. Give me the Zags and the free bucket.
