The Penn State Nittany Lions take on the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles, CA. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
UCLA is favored by 10 points on the spread with a moneyline of -500. The total is set at 140.5 points.
Here are my Penn State vs. UCLA predictions and college basketball picks for February 8, 2025.
Penn State vs UCLA Prediction
My Pick: UCLA -8.5 (Play to -10)
My Penn State vs UCLA best bet is on the Bruins spread, with the best odds currently available at BetRivers. For all of your college basketball bets, find the best lines using our live NCAAB odds page.
Penn State vs UCLA Odds
| Penn State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10 -108 | 140.5 -108 / -112 | +380 |
| UCLA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10 -112 | 140.5 -108 / -112 | -500 |
- Penn State vs UCLA spread: UCLA -10
- Penn State vs UCLA over/under: 140.5 points
- Penn State vs UCLA moneyline: UCLA -500, Penn State +380
- Penn State vs UCLA best bet: UCLA -8.5 (Play to -10)
Spread
I think the Bruins cover as a big home favorite.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm passing on the total.
My Pick: UCLA -8.5 (Play to -10)
Penn State vs UCLA College Basketball Betting Preview
UCLA played 12 of its 13 games in the Pacific time zone, and the Bruins won 11.
They played three of their next four East of Omaha and lost all four.
They haven’t left the West Coast since and are on a six-game winning streak.
The Bruins are a simple handicap, folks.
I’d like to think Mick Cronin and company will be fired up to snag one more win before a two-game road trip to Illinois and Indiana, especially against a down-and-out Penn State squad that's now 3-9 in conference play after losing eight of its past nine.
The Nittany Lions are also likely short-handed, as Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Puff Johnson are both questionable with injuries. Johnson has been an immensely impactful two-way forward for the Nittany Lions.
Plus, it’s not like Penn State has played well on the road, ranking 281st nationally in Haslametrics' away-from-home metric.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are 9-5-1 ATS in L.A.
The handicap gets more complicated when you consider the schematic matchup.
These defenses are similarly constructed. UCLA and Penn State run aggressive, hard-hedging ball-screen coverages that attempt to force the rock out of the opposing ball-handler hands and into secondary creation.
The Bruins’ defense excels at keeping opponents away from the rim and forcing them to catch-and-shoot 3-point creation.
UCLA’s half-court set defense is very tough to penetrate, which explains why it ranks third in the Big Ten in paint points per game allowed (28) while leading the nation in at-the-rim field goal attempts per game allowed.
That’s a problem for Penn State, which is super rim-reliant and among the worst spacing and shot-making teams in the Big Ten. Ace Baldwin Jr. wants to run downhill and find cutters at the rim, but the Bruins will force the ball out of his hands on the perimeter.
Ultimately, I don’t like the matchup for Penn State’s offense.
Conversely, Penn State is surprisingly weak at the rim for its defensive structure.
UCLA’s half-court offense is flawed and too reliant on mid-range shot-makers.
Still, the Bruins like running the offense through Tyler Bilodeau and Aday Mara in the post, and I think they’ll be able to run that offense against Penn State’s weaker post-up defense (.90 PPP allowed, 31st percentile, per Synergy), especially if the duo can get to the rim.
Between the situation, injuries and schematic matchup, I like the Bruins here.
I also think the line might be a tad short, given I project UCLA as a double-digit home favorite against a short-handed Nittany Lions squad.
