The No. 1-ranked Kentucky Wildcats (7-0) are off to a hot start and will try to remain undefeated when they compete against the UCLA Bruins (4-3) at Pauley Pavilion. Action starts at 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, Dec. 3 and will air on ESP and ES3.
The Bruins enter this game hoping for similar success after dismantling Cal State Northridge 77-45 on Sunday. Aaron Holiday was a key piece with 13 points, four assists, and three steals. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 75-63 win over Illinois State on Monday. Marcus Lee had a big game and claimed his second double-double of the season, accounting for 13 points and 12 rebounds.
UCLA is a five-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 147 points. The Bruins have gone 4-3 Straight Up (SU) and 2-5 Against The Spread (ATS).
On the other side, the Wildcats have records of 2-5 ATS and 7-0 SU. The Wildcats are shooting lights out so far, with a .490 field-goal percentage that ranks 35th in Division I. The Wildcats have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 14.3 offensive rebounds per game, 39th in the country. Kentucky’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 4.0 shots from the three-point line per game.
This is the first meeting of the season for UCLA and Kentucky. The last time they played, Kentucky came out on top, moving its SU record against the Bruins to 2-1. However, UCLA leads the matchup ATS with a record of 2-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kty, ATS Winner – Kty, O/U – Over
Notes
UCLA is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games.
UCLA is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
UCLA is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of UCLA’s last 5 games at home.
The UCLA Bruins average 79.1 points per game, ranking 97th in the nation. The Kentucky Wildcats rank 31st in points allowed with 62.3.
UCLA scores just 79.1 points per home game (ranked 170th). Kentucky ranks 31st in points allowed on the road, giving up 63.0 points.
UCLA won its last game by a 32-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Kentucky is 3-0. UCLA is 1-1 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 61st, the Kentucky Wildcats have an offensive rating of 115.0. The UCLA Bruins rank 200th with a defensive rating of just 102.5.
The UCLA Bruins average a field goal percentage of 45.3% this season. The Kentucky Wildcats are a perfect 1-0 in games where opponents have a FG% of 45.3% or greater.
The UCLA Bruins and the Kentucky Wildcats both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. UCLA is 193rd and 131st in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Kentucky ranks 101st and 35th in these categories.
UCLA ranks 93rd in assists, registering 15.3 per game. Kentucky performs worse at 192nd with 13.3 assists per game.
UCLA ranks 38th in rebounds per game with 43.0 and Kentucky ranks 77th with 40.7 rebounds per game.
UCLA ranks 53rd in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Kentucky ranks 39th.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 16.4% when playing UCLA this season. Kentucky is undefeated (5-0) when its TO% is 16.4% or higher.
