UCLA vs UW CBB Picks
The UCLA Bruins are coming off of a five-point win over the Oregon State Beavers, which was quite the relief following their four-point, double-overtime loss to the Oregon Ducks. [ad-4468020]
UCLA (21-7, 10-5 Pac-12) @ Washington (16-3, 8-8 Pac-12)
Thursday, March 6 9:00 PM ET ESPN2 @ Alaska Airlines Arena
Spread: UCLA -4 / OU: 149.5
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
ATS Matchup Insight | CP Insider Gambling Preview
Now they have the Washington Huskies on their plate with just two games remaining in the 2013 college basketball season, and they sit in second place in the Pac-12 standings behind the 27-2 (14-2 Pac-12) Arizona Wildcats.
UCLA
UCLA isn’t going to catch Arizona for first place in the Pac-12 conference, but it can enter postseason play with momentum by beating both the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars in their final two games. First up is the Huskies.
For the Bruins, Thursday, March 6 will mark the first time they face the University of Washington this season (March 8 will also be the first time they face the Cougs).
[ad-6571516]
For this reason, we don’t have an early-season matchup to consider when looking at this matchup, but with the year nearly at its conclusion, we clearly know what each team brings to the table night in and night out.
For UCLA, offense is the name of the game. Defensively, the team is just 201st in points per game allowed, as well as 127th and 178th in field-goal percentage allowed and three-point percentage allowed, respectively.
All that said, the team continues to win games, as it is 10th in points per game scored (82.6), 14th in field-goal percentage (48.9) and seventh in three-point percentage.
The team also shoots 75.1 percent from the foul link—19th in the nation—emphasizing just how efficient this group can be on the offensive side of the floor.
Washington
For Washington, stopping the Bruins is going to be a task. The team has been good this year at defending the three-point line, allowing just 31.3 percent from behind the arc, but nearly every other category on the defensive side leads you to believe UCLA will have the advantage here.
For that reason, the Huskies must do everything they can to attack UCLA’s subpar defense.
Getting into a shootout is never ideal with an offensive-minded roster, but when it comes down to it, the Bruins—who just returned top two scorers Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson from suspension—have too much fire power to simply stop.
Look for the Huskies to utilize C.J. Wilcox more even more than usual.
The senior guard is averaging 18.2 points on 46 percent shooting this season (40.1 percent from deep range), and he’s going to be the reason the team stays in it late in the year.
Unfortunately, UCLA is just too powerful offensively, negating the home-court advantage that UW will hope to use.
Prediction: UCLA 79 – Washington 70
