The Utah Utes (12-5, 5-1 Pac-12) and No. 6 UCLA Bruins (14-2, 5-0) clash in a Pac-12 showdown Thursday night in Los Angeles. Opening tip at Pauley Pavilion will be at 11 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Utah vs. UCLA odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Utes are in 2nd place after their 1st Pac-12 loss on Saturday against Oregon (70-60 loss as a -4 favorite). Utah struggled from distance, shooting just 14.3%, and that long-range accuracy has been a problem area. The Utes have made just 26.3% of their 3s since Dec. 13.
The Bruins lost back-to-back games in November and have won 11 straight since (6-5 against the spread). Last year’s Pac-12 runner-up has had a couple of close shaves in its last 3 games, including a 60-58 triumph over USC in the team’s last game on Jan. 5.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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Utah at UCLA odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:44 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Utah +500 (bet $100 to win $500) | UCLA -800 (bet $800 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Utah +11.5 (-105) | UCLA -11.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 135.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Utah at UCLA picks and predictions
Prediction
UCLA 71, Utah 59
Moneyline
PASS. Move along, nothing to see here with UCLA costing you 8 times your investment.
Against the spread
Against the number, this series is tied over the last 6 games, with neither side winning 2 in a row.
Utah is coming off a really shaky effort against Oregon, but that setback stands in contrast to recent games. UCLA is a lean to get by with a margin of 11-to-14 points: just not enough room to eke out any value. PASS.
Over/Under
The Under is: 5-1 in the Utes’ last 6 games following an ATS loss … 4-1 in UU’s last 5 games following a double-digit loss at home … 4-0 in UCLA’s last 4 games against foes playing .600 ball or better … 5-0 in UCLA’s last 5 games.
The strongest play is the UNDER 135.5 (-105). Both defenses rank in the KenPom top-20 in defensive efficiency. Neither side shoots a lot of 3s; UCLA makes a large percentage of its perimeter looks, but 3-point defense is a strength for the Utes. The Bruins should have some leverage in the turnover/transition and 2nd-chance departments, but in other games against comparable (or semi-comparable) opponents, the Under has hit regularly.
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