Pac-12 foes will battle when the No. 17 Arizona Wildcats (19-5) play the UCLA Bruins (13-10) at McKale Center. The game starts at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 12 and will air on ESP and ES3.
The Wildcats come into this game on a high note after beating Washington 77-72 in their last matchup. Ryan Anderson was a key piece, recording 22 points and 15 rebounds to notch his 12th double-double this season. The Bruins are coming off an ugly 80-61 loss at the hands of USC in their last game. Thomas Welsh played well for UCLA, recording six points, 12 rebounds, and one block.
Anderson has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Wildcats. During that stretch, he has averaged 20.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Bruins won the first game 87-84. Bryce Alford had a stellar game with 25 points, four rebounds, six assists, one steal, and five three-pointers.
The Wildcats enter the game with records of 19-5 Straight Up (SU) and 14-10 Against The Spread (ATS). The Wildcats have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 81.2 points per game. The Wildcats are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting a stellar .379 from beyond the arc. The Arizona defense has done poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 80.3 points per game, well above their season average of 67.6. An area where the Wildcats are particularly strong is defensive rebounding where they average 29.2 per game, 12th in Division I.
On the other side, the Bruins have 13-10 SU and 8-15 ATS records.
The Bruins’ win over Arizona in their last clash brought the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. On the other hand, with an 8-2 record, UCLA has the advantage ATS. Arizona held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice, while UCLA was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, ATS Winner – Ari
Notes
Arizona is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 81.2 points per game (ranked 24th). UCLA, on the other hand, allows 77.0 points per game (ranked 219th).
Arizona scores 81.4 points per home game (ranked 56th). UCLA ranks a poor 236th in points allowed on the road, allowing 82.1 points.
In its last game, UCLA lost by a margin of 19 points. Arizona is 7-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. UCLA has a 2-2 record in blowouts.
The Arizona Wildcats have a defensive rating of 95.1 (ranked 28th), while the UCLA Bruins have an offensive rating of 108.9 (ranked 105th).
The Arizona Wildcats have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 12th in the nation with a FG% of 49.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the UCLA Bruins are winless with a 0-3 record.
The Arizona Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Arizona is 28th and 12th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while UCLA ranks 173rd and 98th in these categories.
Arizona ranks 86th in assists, recording 15.0 per game. UCLA ranks 56th with 15.7 assists per game.
Arizona, the 61st-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.5 per game. UCLA does worse, ranked 215th with 3.1.
Arizona ranks 152nd in offensive rebounds, while UCLA ranks 37th in defensive rebounds.
The UCLA Bruins make an average of 5.5 steals per game. When the Arizona Wildcats give up 5 or more steals, they are a fantastic 11-3.
