The No. 8 UCLA Bruins (11-2, 2-0 Pac-12) visit the Washington State Cougars (5-8, 0-2) in an end-of-the-year Pac-12 tilt Friday. Tip time from Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum will be at 11 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the UCLA vs. Washington State odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
UCLA is 8-0 since losing back-to-back games Nov. 18 (to current-No. 22 Illinois) and Nov. 20 (to current-No. 13 Baylor). Recent wins include those of the straight-up and against-the-spread (ATS) variety at Maryland (Dec. 14) and on a neutral court against Kentucky (Dec. 17). The Bruins head into Friday’s game having won 3 in a row ATS.
The Cougars have lost 3 in a row ATS and are just 1-4 SU since Dec. 10. A hot start from the perimeter has fizzled of late. The Cougars shot 38.9% from 3-point range through Dec. 10 but have scuffled through a 25.9% mark in the 4 games since.
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UCLA at Washington State odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:07 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: UCLA -400 (bet $400 to win $100) | Washington State +300 (bet $100 to win $300)
- Against the spread (ATS): UCLA -8.5 (-105) | Washington State +8.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 134.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
UCLA at Washington State picks and predictions
Prediction
UCLA 69, Washington State 65
Moneyline
PASS for now, but tab Washington as a watch. A price of +340 would be enticing for a team with a lot of minutes returning from a 22-win campaign a year ago.
Against the spread
The home team has won 4 straight ATS in this series.
Wazzou has thus far underplayed its talent level — and some analytics — in going 5-8. The Cougars have played 3 times since UCLA’s last game, Dec. 21. While those games were in Hawaii and could lead to some time-change-return lag, it perhaps sharpens WSU against a Bruins squad that has not played in 9 days.
The way Washington State played Baylor on Nov. 18 (a 65-59 loss on a neutral floor) makes for optimism on a Wazzou play Friday. The Cougars were essentially within 3 in that game for 15 minutes of the 2nd half.
Look for the Cougars to do enough from 3-point land and on the boards to keep this game in the 2-to-3-score territory.
TAKE THE COUGARS +8.5 (-115).
Over/Under
This one between a mid-pace UCLA squad and their slow-down hosts looks to be in balance around the mid-130s. PASS.
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