The UCLA Bruins are off to one of their best starts in recent history. UCLA has moved into the No. 11 spot in the AP poll thanks to an undefeated start to the year, but will face its biggest threat yet on Saturday. That’s when the Bruins head cross-country to face the No. 1 team in the land, the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky has looked unstoppable through the early part of the season, rolling up huge margins of victory against everyone it has faced, but UCLA will be its toughest test yet.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from the Rupp Arena at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 3, 2016. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN. We will have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
UCLA is 5-2 ATS through the first part of the season, having been favored in every game it has played. The Bruins have covered their last four games against the number and five of their seven have gone over the total this year.
Kentucky has looked fantastic thus far. The Wildcats have blown out everyone they have played by at least 20 points and are 6-1 ATS on the year. Each of their last three games have finished over the total.
Player to Watch
TJ Leaf has been extremely impressive for the Bruins this year. Leaf is just a freshman, but has shown how talented he is through the first set of games. He is hitting an impressive 67.6 percent of his shots on the season and over 50 percent of his three-point attempts and is the team’s leading scorer.
Leaf gets overshadowed by Lonzo Ball, but has been great in his own right. Leaf is second on the team in rebounding, in addition to leading the team in scoring, and is able to dish and create a little as well. If there’s an area of his game he needs to work on, it’s free-throw shooting where he is hitting just two-thirds of his free-throw attempts.
Key Stat
UCLA hasn’t played much in the way of quality competition, but the Bruins offense has been impeccable. The Bruins are averaging 96.9 PPG, third in the country, and have been extraordinarily efficient. They are knocking down 54.7 percent of their field-goal attempts too, and that is the best percentage of any team in America.
It’s incredible that Bryce Alford is hitting 47.9 percent of his shots from the floor and is considered the worst shooter on the team. He is the only player hitting less than 50 percent on the season, but on most other teams in college basketball would be considered extremely efficient.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Kentucky obliterated Arizona State on Monday and displayed the dominance that has made them the top team in the country. Malik Monk has been a huge addition to the team and might be the front-runner for Freshman of the Year with how he has played to date. He has a silky smooth shot and although he doesn’t contribute much else, his scoring ability makes him extremely valuable.
The Wildcats have Isaiah Briscoe back in the line-up after he missed two games with injury last week. Briscoe played well against the Sun Devils, knocking down 7 of his 9 shots from the floor, and provides a steady hand in the backcourt.
Kentucky is going to be a tough out in the tournament, but this team has a fatal flaw. The Wildcats are not able to shoot the ball well from three-point land and that could sting them against a team like UCLA. While Kentucky can outscore most teams in the country if it came down to it, UCLA shoots too well and makes this a ripe choice for an upset.
College Basketball Odds: UCLA 84, Kentucky 81
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