Pac-12 Leaders Await Huskies
The No. 9 UCLA Bruins still lead the Pac-12, but what seemed like a coronation and an easy march to the conference championship is now a true dogfight.
The Bruins lost consecutive games to Arizona and USC, which means the Pac-12 is now a three-team scramble.
Can UCLA bounce back and cover the college basketball odds when they host Washington? We’ll see on Thursday when the Huskies come to town.
Let’s check the latest college basketball news, stats, injury reports, and college basketball lines for Washington vs UCLA.We’ve got plenty of NCAA basketball picks for you to consider.
Washington Can Be Pesky
The Washington Huskies play a really good game occasionally, but are not able to regularly replicate a high level of performance.
They upset Arizona State last Thursday and affected the Pac-12 bubble situation by knocking off Arizona State. Washington does have the talent to bother good teams.
The Huskies almost beat Arizona several weeks ago, losing by three points to the Wildcats. However, when Arizona came to Seattle for the rematch against Washington last Saturday, the Huskies crumbled in a 95-72 loss.
Washington just doesn’t have the strength and power inside to contain other teams’ quality big men, which is a concern if you’re thinking about taking the Huskies with your college basketball picks.
UCLA’s Adem Bona figures to feast against the Huskies’ frontcourt. Washington needs its zone defense to bother UCLA’s offense and confuse the Bruins.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the floor, the Huskies have to get hot from 3-point range and produce one of their best offensive games to have a realistic chance of pulling off the upset on the road.
UCLA Needs to be Efficient on Offense
UCLA scored just 52 points in its loss to Arizona two weeks ago. In the second half of that game, the Bruins scored just 27 points and looked terrible.
Their offense goes through a lot of ruts and scoring droughts, which makes it tough if you want to bet them in the sportsbook. The Bruins need more from Jaime Jaquez, who is widely regarded as their most talented player and their best NBA draft prospect.
He has not had the hot hand and that’s why the Bruins have looked so ordinary over the past few games.
With UCLA’s three-game Pac-12 lead being chopped down to only one game over Arizona and USC, the Bruins need some urgency and must find a way to hit the reset button on their season.
Jaquez shooting well and UCLA getting to the free throw line for easy points are two obvious foundational building blocks for a resurgence.
Washington vs UCLA Game Injuries
Washington vs UCLA Head-to-Head
These two schools last met on Jan. 1. UCLA won 74-49.
Washington vs UCLA Game Information
- Game: Washington vs UCLA
- Location: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
- Day/Time: Thursday, Feb. 2, 9:00 p.m. ET
- Washington vs UCLA Live stream: TBS.com
Washington vs UCLA Betting Lines
Washington vs UCLA Picks and Prediction
The game should be one-way traffic. UCLA has lost two straight games to its foremost challengers in the Pac-12.
Washington is a mediocre team that is nowhere near as talented as Arizona or USC. If you bet online, back UCLA as Bruins should be motivated and prepared. Expect them to win by 15.
UCLA is listed at -1800 in our College Basketball Lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Bruins, you have a chance to win $06. Washington is +920, offering a chance to win $920 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Huskies a 9.80% chance to win, with the Bruins at 94.74%.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
Washington vs UCLA Trends
Washington vs UCLA Edge
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Washington vs UCLA Game Summary
