Pac-12 foes will battle when the UCLA Bruins (10-3, 1-0 Pac-12) clash against the Washington Huskies (11-3, 1-0 Pac-12) at Pauley Pavilion. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 162 points with UCLA set as a 9-point favorite. Action gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31, 2017, and it can be seen on Pac-12 Network.
Washington Huskies vs. UCLA Bruins Free Preview
The last time the Huskies played, they defeated the No. 25 USC Trojans, 88-81. Noah Dickerson was Washington’s high scorer with 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting. Washington was 8-16 on three pointers (50.0 percent), while USC was just 3-20 (15.0 percent).
The Bruins will look to keep it rolling after topping the Washington State Cougars in their last contest, 96-82. With 33 points on 11-for-18 shooting, Aaron Holiday was the games leading scorer. UCLA played a nearly flawless game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 34.1 (above their season average of 29.5) and a free throw rate of 0.400 (above their season average of 0.256). Washington State put up marks of 9.4 and 0.203, respectively, for those same stats.
UCLA figures to have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Bruins currently rank 92nd in offensive efficiency, while Washington ranks 238th in defensive efficiency. Additionally, the Huskies, who rank 33rd in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.295), will face off against the Bruins, who rank 59th in opponents FTA rate (0.188).
Games featuring these teams have a tendency to finish over the projected point total. Washington games have gone over 58.3 percent of the time, while UCLA games have gone over 66.7 percent of the time. Both teams have outstanding straight up (SU) records (11-3 for Washington; 10-3 for UCLA), but the Bruins hold a slight advantage against the spread (ATS). UCLA is 5-8 ATS, while the Huskies are 5-6-1.
Holiday has been superb over the last five games for UCLA, averaging 18.6 points, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Bruins won both contests last season. In the last contest, UCLA won 98-66. UCLA had a much better turnover percentage (9.1 vs. 21.6). Washington, on the other hand, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (33.3 vs. 23.1).
Washington Huskies vs. UCLA Bruins ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – UCLA, ATS Winner – Washington, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Huskies rank 165th in three pointers allowed per game (22.9) while the Bruins rank 243rd (26.3).
- Both of these teams are exceptional at blocking the ball. Washington is 19th in the nation with 5.7 blocks per game while UCLA is 54th with 4.5 blocks per game.
- Washington is 3-1 ATS on the road with 3 overs and 1 under.
- UCLA is 3-5 ATS at home with 5 overs and 2 unders.
- UCLA ranks 19th in rebounds per game (41.1) while Washington ranks 216th (33.7).
- The Bruins rank 71st in assists per game (15.6) while the Huskies rank 229th in assists allowed per game (17.6).
- Washington ranks 18th in steals per game (8.9) while UCLA ranks 115th in steals allowed per game (6.5).
- UCLA is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Washington is 1-3 ATS with 3 overs and 1 under.
- The Bruins average margin of victory in their last five games has been 0.4, down from 7.3 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Huskies have scored an average of 82.0 points per game (0.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 74.6 points per game (1.6 below their season average).
