The No.2 Kentucky Wildcats vs. the No.3 UCLA Bruins matchup is the only #2 vs. #3 matchup left in the brackets which is why it will probably draw the most attention of all Sweet16 games. It will feature two schools with the most NCAA men’s basketball championships of all time who again have their eyes on the big prize. Make sure you don’t miss the Kentucky Wildcats vs. the UCLA Bruins battle in Memphis, but first off let’s take a look on some helpful insights that could bring you some money!!!
Place: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Date/Time: Friday March 24th, 2017. 09:40 PM ET
TV Coverage: CBS
#2 Kentucky Wildcats vs. #3 UCLA Bruins
LINE: Kentucky -1 (+100) moneyline -102
Total: 166 points (-103 over, -115 under)
Kentucky blocks Wichita State once again
Only the second game in the NCAA tournament history that had two 30-win teams playing in the first weekend certainly did not disappoint. The Kentucky Wildcats (31-5) have ended the longest active streak on 16 consecutive wins by the Wichita State Shockers in a tight, exciting game. The Wildcats, the youngest team in the tournament still playing, now own it, with 13 wins in a row. It was very fitting that a 65-62 game ends with two good defensive sequences to decide the winner.
Neither team impressed offensively. Kentucky fared a little better in efficiency, shooting 41.8% from the field compared to Shockers 38.7% and they’ve also got to the charity line more frequently. They also had only 7 turnovers to Shockers 11. Two teams were about even in all other categories, as was the score throughout the game. Neither team led by more than 7 points, trading misses and makes from start to finish. Power forward Edrice Adebayo was the most influential Wildcats player with 13 points, 10 boards and a last second block to prevent the overtime. Malik Monk was not up to his best with 14 points on 3-of-10 shooting but played good outside D. DeAaron Fox was the only other player in double digits, with 14 points on 13 shots. For the season, Kentucky scores 85.2 points on 47.4 percent shooting, and allows 71.3 points on 42 percent shooting, so this was not a common game for them.
Lonzo Ball clutch three pointers lifts UCLA over the Cincinnati
The UCLA Bruins seem simply too talented to be stymied for the whole game. The Bearcats active defense did so for a half, but then all hell broke loose and the Bruins ran away with 79-67 victory by outscoring their opponents by 15 in the second period. UCLA got dunks, layups and were raining threes in a fun performance few teams can put up. The game was essentially decided on two consecutive three-pointers from past NBA range by usually a pass-first Bruins point guard, Lonzo Ball. This sequence completely turned the momentum and UCLA never looked back.
Ball was outstanding once again, scoring 18 points, dishing 9 assists (all in second half) and grabbing 7 boards for the Bruins. He converted 4-of-7 threes, and the Bruins got another 4 triples from Bryce Alford. Five different Bruins scored at least 11 points, and UCLA shot over 60 percent in the second half. More importantly, the Bruins were able to string together a few stops in the second half and held Bearcats stars Troy Caupain and Kyle Washington to a combined 13 points.
#2 Kentucky Wildcats vs. #3 UCLA Bruins Game Trends & Prediction
The Kentucky Wildcats are 18-17-1 against the spread this season and have not been able to consistently cover the spread. They win, but not by a large margin lately. During the 13 games win streak, the Wildcats won by more than 11 points only twice. They are also a 17-19 against the O/U for the season, after 8 of their last 9 games went under the projected line. During the winning streak, Kentucky allows only 66.7 points per game.
UCLA has gone 17-18 against the spread overall. They covered against Cincinnati after 4 ATS losses in a row. The game has also gone to under – this was the sixth time in the last eight games that the projected line was not topped. For the season, UCLA goes 16-17-2 against the over/under.
This is the second time the two teams play this season, as they’ve previously met in early December. UCLA won 97-92 at the Rupp Arena as a 11 point underdog. The loss snapped a 42-game home winning streak for the Wildcats. It was an up-and-down, fast paced game that UCLA likes and also the poorest the Wildcats defense has played all season. This time, bookmakers don’t find the two teams separated by much. UCLA is a strong public bet as they usually are and I also find them more appealing due to their form and their talent. I’m going with the Bruins. The Wildcats got burned the last time because they accepted Bruins open game style, so I doubt they’ll engage in another helter-skelter game. On top of that the total points line gives us slight value on the under side, but it’s not enough for to take.
My Pick: UCLA ml
Total: Pass
