The UCLA Bruins must be breathing a sigh of relief right now. The Ball family circus has finally left and now the team can get back to winning games. While there’s no doubt that the three Ball siblings are talented, the family’s antics has taken the focus off of an exciting young team. UCLA is hungry to get back on the floor again after blowing a 15-point lead to Michigan last week and will be more than happy to welcome the Cincinnati Bearcats to Los Angeles.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, December 16, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The game will be televised live on CBS. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cincinnati rebounded nicely after two straight losses by hammering Mississippi State earlier in the week. The Bearcats totally shut down the previously undefeated Bulldogs, holding them to just 30 percent from the floor in a 65-50 win. Jacob Evans and Kyle Washington combined for 40 of the team’s 65 points and were the only two Cincinnati players to make more than two field goals. The game finished short of the total and the under is now 6-2 in Cincinnati games this season.
The Bruins are 7-2 and looking for what would be their best win of the season. Although UCLA previously knocked off name opponents like Georgia Tech and Wisconsin, Cincinnati is in another tier. The school lost to both Creighton and Michigan and a win would be a boon to its resume. UCLA is just 3-6 ATS this year.
Player to Watch
Thomas Welsh has waited four years for this moment. While many of the Bruins have come and gone quickly over the years, Welsh has stayed all four years and is now one of the team’s keys. He is averaging 32 minutes per game and has been one of the players that Steve Alford has relied on this season.
Through nine games, he is averaging a double-double and he has put together some big performances. He was great against Michigan last Saturday, posting 22 points and 10 rebound in 40 minutes of action.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Welsh is how good of a shooter he is for a large seven-footer. Welsh is knocking down 85.7 percent of his free throws this season and you can’t just neutralize him by sending him to the line.
Matchup to Watch
Cincinnati is one of the best defensive teams in the nation and will try to impose their will on UCLA from the opening tip. The Bearkats are allowing opponents to score just 60.6 PPG this season and teams are hitting a scant 36.1 percent from the field against them.
A lot of that comes from their dominance on the glass. This isn’t a particularly tall team, but the Bearkats are bruisers and will fight with you down low. The one exception to this is the mild-mannered Gary Clark, but he leads the team in rebounding despite being just 6’8.
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This will be a contrast of tempos, but UCLA experienced this last week. Michigan is a team that plays even slower than Cincinnati, yet the Bruins were able to jump out to a big lead on them before blowing it.
UCLA hasn’t been that good on the defensive end this season and hasn’t been able to make their freebies. However, the Bruins can actually handle the Bearkats on the glass and have talented guards that can find holes against this defense. You might be able to get UCLA as a home underdog in this one since Cincinnati is highly ranked, so jump on the Bruins on the moneyline if you get the chance.
College Basketball Odds: UCLA 81, Cincinnati 74
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