.jpg "Kentucky-vs.-UCLA-(CBS)")
Two of the most storied programs in college basketball will square off when the Kentucky Wildcats play the UCLA Bruins this Saturday. UCLA has not looked good in recent weeks, struggling to have the same success it did with Lonzo Ball last season. Meanwhile, the Wildcats picked up a nice win against Virginia Tech this Saturday and would like to pick up one more non-conference win before the holidays.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, December 23, 2017, at 4 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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
Kentucky has done a good job of covering the spread recently. This young team is starting to come together right before conference play starts, and that’s just what John Calipari wants to see. The Wildcats have covered four of their last five games heading into this one. Their first four games went under the total, while their last five have finished north of the number.
The Bruins have been one of the worst teams to bet on this season. UCLA is just 3-8 ATS and has not lived up to its preseason billing. This team has had its share of woes on both ends of the floor and has lost two of its last three. The Bruins nearly lost at home to South Dakota on Tuesday night, a loss that would have been disastrous.
Matchup to Watch
These are two of the better rebounding teams in the nation, and it will be interesting to see how the battle in the paint plays out.
UCLA is averaging 41 rebounds per game and has quite a few players that have been good at cleaning up the glass. Thomas Welsh has been the best, averaging 10.6 RPG this season, but there have been others that have done a good job down low. Kris Wilkes might be listed as a guard, but at 6’8 he towers above whoever is guarding him. Additionally, Gyorgy Goloman has proven to be a solid contributor.
The Wildcats don’t have one major rebounder like the Bruins do. Instead, it’s been a team effort this year with six people pulling down at least four rebounds a game. Nick Richards is the team’s leading rebounder despite averaging just 18 minutes a game, while Kevin Knox is second on the team. Knox is the team’s primary scorer, but he needs to do more in this area. He is 6’9 yet spends way too much time on the perimeter.
Player to Watch
Without Lonzo Ball, this has become Aaron Holiday’s team. He leads the team in points and assists, and is the team’s primary ball handler.
That wasn’t expected to happen at the start of the year. Freshman Jaylen Hands was supposed to be the team’s main distributor, but he has had some trouble adapting his game to this level. That has made the team reliant on Holliday.
Unfortunately, the extra responsibility seems to have effected Holliday’s shooting. His numbers are down from what we saw last year, and he is turning the ball over more.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
When these teams met last season, it was electric. UCLA won the first meeting, outlasting Kentucky 97-92 in a shootout that was one of the most thrilling games of the year. These teams met again in the NCAA Tournament with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line, and Kentucky won that rematch.
The Wildcats haven’t played the toughest schedule to start the season, so this will be a good test for them. UCLA has not played well recently, but this team has the talent to turn it on at any time.
College Basketball Odds: Kentucky 79, UCLA 71
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
