The UCLA Bruins (20-9) travel to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (16-13) on Monday, March 3rd. This game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston and televised on FS1. Northwestern is coming off a win in their previous game, while UCLA is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Purdue. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.

UCLA Bruins vs Northwestern Wildcats

The Bruins Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

UCLA Bruins Recent Game/Games

The Bruins dropped to 20-9 on the season after a 76-66 road loss to Purdue on Friday. Entering the game as +6 point underdogs, UCLA not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

UCLA trailed 37-35 at halftime and allowed 39 points in the 2nd half while scoring 31. The game’s total points of 142 went over the pre-game line of 137.5.

The Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Northwestern Wildcats Recent Game/Games

Northwestern improved to 16-13 on the season with a 68-57 win over Iowa on Friday, February 28th. The Wildcats, who were favored by 4.5 points, covered the spread at home.

After leading 30-26 at halftime, Northwestern scored 38 points in the 2nd half while holding Iowa to 31. The game’s total points of 125 fell well short of the 149.5 O/U line.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

UCLA’s offense put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 48% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 52%, with a strong 59.4% shooting inside the arc, though they struggled from three-point range, hitting just 27.8% (5/18). At the free-throw line, they connected on 81.2% of their attempts, going 13/16.

Braden Smith led the way from deep, hitting 6 of 10 threes and finishing with 23 points and 8 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn was dominant inside, scoring 29 points on 11/15 shooting, while Tyler Bilodeau added 15 points and 7 rebounds. UCLA also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 19 assists as a team.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Northwestern put up 68 points in their last game, shooting 42.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50%. They hit 39.1% from beyond the arc, connecting on 9 of 23 attempts, while shooting 44.8% on two-pointers. At the free-throw line, they made 15 of 23 shots, good for 65.2%.

K.J. Windham led the way with 20 points, hitting 4 of 7 from three-point range and shooting 60% overall. Drew Thelwell was perfect from deep, going 4 for 4, and finished with 14 points. Nick Martinelli contributed 16 points and 9 rebounds, despite shooting just 35.7% from the field.

Bruins Team Defense

UCLA’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 76 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 51% from the field. The Bruins couldn’t contain the two-point shots, with their opponents hitting 53% of their attempts (16/30).

From beyond the arc, UCLA’s defense allowed 11 threes on 22 attempts, a 50% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted 11 shots (68%). UCLA gave up 7 offensive rebounds.

Wildcats Team Defense

UCLA’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 76 points on 51% shooting from the field. The Bruins allowed their opponent to hit 53% of their two-point attempts, going 16/30.

From beyond the arc, UCLA’s defense couldn’t contain the three-point shooting, as their opponent knocked down 11 of 22 threes, shooting 50%. They also sent the other team to the line 16 times, where they made 11 free throws.

Bruins vs Wildcats Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, UCLA has an ATS record of 3-1-1 while averaging 72 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• When looking at their past three matchups at home, Northwestern has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 73 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-2.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Bruins have a straight up record of 9-1. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-3-1.

Bruins vs Wildcats Prediction

As the underdogs with a spread of +3.5, we recommend going with the Wildcats on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 132.5 and given that our model is projecting 146 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.