The UCLA Bruins (9-6) look to extend their five-game home winning streak in a matchup against the No. 7-ranked Arizona Wildcats (13-1). The game starts at 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 7 and will air on ES2 and ES3.
The Bruins lost to Washington State 85-78 on Sunday. Isaac Hamilton finished with 27 points to lead the game. The Wildcats are coming off a 94-82 win over Arizona State on Sunday. Gabe York led the team in scoring with 22 points on 5-for-12 shooting.
Hamilton has been playing at a high level as of late for the Bruins, averaging 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers over the last five games.
The battle on the backboards could prove decisive, pitting strength against strength. UCLA is among the nation’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 26th in OR% at 37.5%. Meanwhile, Arizona ranks first in the nation at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 79.7%.
UCLA is a three-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 150 points. Despite a 9-6 Straight Up (SU) record, the Bruins have not fared well Against The Spread (ATS) with a 4-11 record. They are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games.
Across the court, the Wildcats head into the game with records of 8-6 ATS and 13-1 SU. Arizona has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 7-3. Arizona is one of the top shooting teams in the country, converting .485 of its shots from the floor. Switching gears to the Arizona defense, teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Wildcats, who are 17th in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 73 this season. The Wildcats are a terror on the defensive glass, averaging an impressive 29.4 defensive rebounds per game.
This is the first meeting of the season for UCLA and Arizona. The last time they played, Arizona came out on top, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. However, with an 8-2 record, UCLA has the advantage ATS. Arizona had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups. UCLA has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, ATS Winner – Ari, O/U – Over
Notes
UCLA is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games.
UCLA is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of UCLA’s last 5 games.
UCLA is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of UCLA’s last 11 games when playing Arizona.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of UCLA’s last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona.
UCLA averages 79.9 points per game this season. Arizona is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 63.3 points per game (ranked 25th).
Arizona is one of the top-scoring teams on the road, averaging 81.0 points per game (ranked 15th). UCLA, on the other hand, allows 73.8 points per home game (ranked 287th).
Ranked 40th, the Arizona Wildcats have an offensive rating of 114.0. The UCLA Bruins rank 236th with a defensive rating of just 104.9.
UCLA has an average field goal percentage of 45.7%. Arizona is a winning 3-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. UCLA is 180th and 102nd in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Arizona ranks 65th and 30th in these categories.
UCLA ranks 97th in assists, registering 15.1 per game. Arizona performs worse at 106th with 14.9 assists per game.
UCLA is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 17th. Arizona ranks 20th in defensive rebounds.
The UCLA Bruins make an average of 5.9 steals per game. When the Arizona Wildcats allow 5 or more steals, they are a formidable 6-1.
