The UCLA Bruins (8-1) travel to face off against the Arizona Wildcats (4-4) on Saturday, December 14th. This game will be played at Footprint Center in Phoenix and televised on ESPN2. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 3:00 ET.

UCLA Bruins vs Arizona Wildcats

The Bruins Are Coming Off A Win

UCLA improved to 8-1 on the season with a 73-71 win over Oregon on Sunday. The Bruins were +3.5 point underdogs going into the game but not only pulled off the upset, they also covered the spread.

After trailing 34-33 at halftime, UCLA outscored Oregon 40-37 in the second half. The total points for the game ended at 144, going over the pre-game line of 137.5.

The Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win

Arizona improved to 4-4 on the season with a dominant 102-66 win over Southern Utah on Saturday. The Wildcats were heavy favorites at -28 and covered the spread, while the game’s total points of 168 went over the 158.5 O/U line.

Arizona took control early, leading 55-23 at halftime. They continued to roll offensively in the 2nd half, scoring 47 points, but allowed 43 points to the Thunderbirds.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

UCLA’s offense put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 45.2% from the field. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 52.2% of their threes (12/23) and posting an effective field goal percentage of 54.8%.

Nate Bittle led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 61.5% overall and 66.7% from three. Eric Dailey Jr. added 19 points, hitting 87.5% of his shots and 75% from deep.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Arizona put up 102 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. They hit 28 of 36 free throws, good for 77.8%, and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, dishing out 23 assists as a team.

Jamir Simpson led the way with 21 points and 7 rebounds, hitting 3 of 6 from deep. Anthony Dell’Orso added 19 points in just 18 minutes, shooting 75% from three, while KJ Lewis contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds, making 6 of 7 shots.

Bruins Team Defense

UCLA’s defense had a tough outing, giving up 71 points on 47% shooting from the field. The Bruins allowed their opponent to hit 50% of their two-point attempts, with 17 makes on 34 tries.

From beyond the arc, UCLA’s defense couldn’t slow down the three-point shooting, as their opponent knocked down 9 of 21 attempts for 42%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 14 times, where they converted 10 free throws, shooting 71%.

Wildcats Team Defense

UCLA’s defense gave up 71 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 47% from the field. They allowed 17 two-point baskets on 34 attempts, a 50% success rate.

From beyond the arc, UCLA’s opponents hit 9 of 21 three-point attempts, shooting 42%. They also made 10 of 14 free throws, shooting 71%. UCLA allowed 9 offensive rebounds.

Bruins vs Wildcats Trends

• In their last three road games, UCLA has averaged 67 points per game while allowing 70. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
• The Wildcats are 3-2 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
• Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Bruins have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.

Bruins vs Wildcats Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Wildcats to win, and have the projected score sitting at 78-70. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Wildcats at -3.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 147 and given that our model is projecting 148 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.