College Basketball Pick & Prediction for UCLA vs Washington

UCLA takes on Washington on Thursday, February 29 at 10:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Here's a college basketball pick and prediction for UCLA vs Washington.

The Washington Huskies host the UCLA Bruins tonight. The Huskies are 15-13 (7-9 in conference) and UCLA is 14-13 with nine wins in Pac-12 play.

After starting conference play on fire, UCLA lost back-to-back games against Utah and USC. How will the Bruins respond to a potential three-game losing streak?

People thought Mick Cronin forgot how to coach when the Bruins' early season struggles happened. It’s not that simple, and Cronin figured things out. Cronin focused on defense and once the Bruins' defense improved, so did their record. It's the same formula that worked for Cronin at Cincinnati. UCLA ranks 27th nationally in defensive efficiency and forces a fair amount of turnovers (18.8% TO percentage).

The Bruins' offense ranks 185th in offensive efficiency, which one of the worst marks in the Pac-12. UCLA’s best offensive skill is getting to the foul line as it attempts free throws on 36% of its possessions. However, UCLA shoots only 45% from 2-point range and 31% from 3.

UCLA’s offensive success hinges on Lazar Stefanovic and Sebastian Mack. Stefanovic averages 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and is the team’s best pure shooter. He’s come up big a few times this year and UCLA will need another big outing against Washington’s mediocre defense.

Sophomore big-man Adem Bona, who tallied 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting in UCLA's win over Washington in January will play a big role in this matchup. The guards penetrating and dumping the ball low to Bona caused issues for Washington's defense in that game.

Washington split a pair of games against the Arizona schools, beating Arizona State and falling short against Arizona. However, the Huskies shouldn't take any shame in losing against Arizona as most teams in the Pac-12 suffer a similar fate.

The Huskies excel at scoring from 2-point range, where they shoot 57% from the field.

Keion Brooks Jr. is the Pac-12's top-scorer at 21.5 points per game and loves scoring over smaller players in the mid-range. The 6'8" senior has extended his range this season and is shooting a career-best 36.6% from 3.

The Huskies also push the pace and rank 27th nationally in adjusted tempo. If Washington can speed up the Bruins and turn the game into a track meet, UCLA doesn't have the weapons needed to win. These teams play very different styles, so it's likely that whichever side dictates tempo will notch the victory.

I'm taking the Huskies at home. In Washington's double-digit loss against UCLA, the Huskies only got 12 points from Brooks. He won't struggle that much this time around and will assert his will as a go-to guy.

The ATS trends also favor Washington as the Huskies are 15-13 ATS, while UCLA is 12-13-2.

Pick: Washington -3 (Play to -3.5)