The No.2-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs challenge the No.11-seeded UCLA Bruins in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament at NRG Stadium – Houston, TX. Action begins at 7:15 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 27.
The Bulldogs played well in their last game, blowing out Iowa 87-68 in the third round. Byron Wesley was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points. The Bruins, meanwhile, are coming off a 92-75 win against UAB in the third round. Norman Powell led the team in scoring with 21 points.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Bulldogs winning the first matchup 87-74. Wesley had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and two three-pointers.
Gonzaga is an eight-point favorite against UCLA and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 146 points. The Bulldogs come into this game 34-2 Straight Up (SU) and 17-14-2 Against The Spread (ATS). The Bulldogs lead Division I in field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .524 from the field. Gonzaga is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 16.4 assists per game. The Bulldogs have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 14th in the country with a .385 opponent field-goal percentage. Teams usually don’t get many offensive rebounds against the Bulldogs, who are one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the country with an average of 27.5 defensive rebounds per game. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Gonzaga offense, which averages just 10.4 turnovers per game.
In the other locker room, the Bruins have 22-13 SU and 19-16 ATS records. UCLA performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record.
In their previous meeting this season, Gonzaga beat UCLA, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 1-1 SU. On the other hand, Gonzaga holds the advantage ATS with a record of 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Zags, ATS Winner – Zags, O/U – Over
Notes
The UCLA Bruins rank 97th for their offensive rating of 106.1. The Gonzaga Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 154.6 (ranked 31st).
Gonzaga has an average field goal percentage of 52.4% (ranked first). UCLA is a losing 1-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UCLA Bruins rank higher based on their field goal percentage (130th) than their effective field goal percentage (169th), while the Gonzaga Bulldogs rank the same for both metrics (first).
Gonzaga ranks among the best in the nation in assists at 10th (16.4 assists per game). UCLA is ranked 74th with 14.1 assists per game.
UCLA, the 19th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.2 rebounds per game. Gonzaga ranks 32nd with 37.8.
The UCLA Bruins rank 52nd in offensive rebounds, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs rank third in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Gonzaga averages a forced turnover percentage of 29.5% this season. When the UCLA Bruins suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this, the team is winless with a 0-1 record.
