The UCLA Bruins shook off their first loss of the season and have won two straight games by double-digits. They will look to keep it rolling in a home game against the Stanford Cardinal.
Arizona and Oregon continue to remain undefeated in Pac-12 play, so UCLA needs to keep winning in order to keep pace. The Bruins should still be considered the best team in the conference based on their overall body of work and should be able to put that on display in this one.
Stanford is struggling this season and must go on the road against one of the best teams in the country, which is not a good recipe for success. The Cardinal will be heavy underdogs in this matchup.
At 8 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Sunday, January 8, 2017, at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Sunday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
UCLA is 14-1 straight up and has gone 10-5 against the spread on the year. The Bruins have played nine home games and have covered in six of them. UCLA is 9-5 against the spread as the favorite this season and will clearly be the team to beat in this matchup.
Stanford is 8-7 straight up and 5-9 against the spread. The Cardinal has played in three true road games and has covered in one of them. Stanford is 2-5 against the spread as the underdog and will certainly be getting a sizable amount of points in this one.
Injury Report
Stanford’s leading scorer, Reid Travis, suffered a shoulder injury in practice this week and has been ruled out for an indefinite period of time. He is a big piece who has had six double-doubles this season.
Travis is averaging 17.5 points per game along with 9.6 rebounds. He averaged 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds as a sophomore last year and has become the go-to player for the Cardinal
In his stead, look for more shots for junior guard Dorian Pickens. He is averaging 13.2 points and 4.1 rebounds on the game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from three-point line.
He is an unselfish player who will look to find others when they are open, but with Travis shelved, he should take shots when available because Pickens is now the team’s top scoring threat.
Key Stat
93.9. That’s how many points per game the Bruins offense is averaging per game. UCLA ranks third in the country for points per game and first in the country for assists with 23.1 per game.
The Bruins scored 119 points in the season opener against Pacific and also put up 114 points against Long Beach State on November 20th. The team has scored 100 points or more in five games this season.
The offense is led by T.J. Leaf, who is averaging 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He has plenty of support. Bryce Alford is the team’s sharp-shooter, averaging 16.3 points per game and shooting 41.5 percent from downtown.
Isaac Hamilton is averaging 14.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while Lonzo Ball does a little bit of everything, contributing 14.3 points, 8.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. Ball should be able to facilitate with ease in this one as UCLA has the superior athleticism.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
UCLA lost at Oregon early in conference play but that came at the last second and has proven to be a mere blip. The Bruins continue to assert themselves as one of the best teams in the country and have been dynamic at home.
Stanford is already short-handed and have the talent disadvantage. Add in the road game and there is little reason to believe this one will even be competitive. Unless Pickens can light it up from downtown, UCLA should cruise to the victory.
College Basketball Odds: UCLA 91, Stanford 75
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!
