Colorado vs UCLA Odds, Pick
| Colorado Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 136.5 -110o / -110u | -130 |
| UCLA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 136.5 -110o / -110u | +105 |
The Pac-12 race is really heating up over the last month of its final season. Arizona is the top dog in the conference, but it's by no means the juggernaut we expected. Behind the Wildcats, there are eight teams within four games of each other.
Luckily for us, UCLA and Colorado are right in the thick of the Pac-12 race and will face each other on Thursday in an intriguing matchup.
Sebastian Mack has had a recent coming out party for UCLA at guard, while KJ Simpson has been excelling for the Buffs. This guard matchup will have a major impact on the outcome of this game, so keep an eye on who comes out on top between the two.
Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado sits at 7-6 in Pac-12 play and has been an up-and-down bunch. The Buffs have done a great job defending their home court, as they have just one home loss in conference play. However, they've struggled mightily away from Boulder, as they're 1-5 in conference road games.
Winning on the road separates good teams from great teams, and if the Buffs want to move off of the projected NCAA tournament bubble, these are the types of games they need to start winning.
Oddly enough, Colorado has a massive edge against UCLA at the free-throw line, as the Bruins rank 249th in the nation in free-throw rate allowed while the Buffaloes are 72nd in free-throw rate.
The Buffaloes also are extremely accurate once they get to the line, as they shoot at the sixth-highest percentage in the country at 79.3%, while UCLA is 160th at 72.2%, per KenPom.
That does not give them a real schematic edge, but if this is going to be a close game, each and every free throw counts down the stretch. This a metric I like to look at during the NCAA tournament, but it also relates to road games as well.
The Buffs also have a slight edge on defense. Both their 2-point field goal percentage allowed and 3-point field goal percentage allowed rank better than UCLA shoots it.
The Bruins' offense has been a real struggle for most of the season, as UCLA outside the top 230 in 3-point FG% and outside the top 340 in 2-point FG%.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA has really kicked it into gear of late. The Bruins are 8-5 in the Pac-12 and are just two games back of the conference lead.
Don't look now, but they've won five straight games and will be favored to win their next three.
UCLA is a very young team, and it clearly took a while to figure it out as a group. It's tough to blame the Bruins for the slow start, as they lost nearly all of their production from their Final Four-caliber teams of the last few seasons.
The Bruins have gotten it done with the rare "balanced attack." Not one of their offensive or defensive metrics will turn your head, but they do everything really solid.
With that being said, they don't have any real weaknesses either. The only fault you can give them is their youth.
Mick Cronin has done an excellent job of rallying his young Bruins and getting them into tournament form.
Colorado vs. UCLA
Betting Pick & Prediction
UCLA's balanced attack and Colorado's road woes will the difference in this game. The Buffs do have a small advantage on the defensive end, but I trust Cronin and his surging Bruins to take care of business.
Simpson will be asked to a lot for Colorado in this game — maybe too much. If he and Tristan da Silva don't combine for at least 35 points, this could be a boat race.
Ride with the surging Bruins at home, as they've found new life.
