The UCLA Bruins used a big win last week over Pac-12 leader Arizona to improve their NCAA Tournament standing, but needs to keep piling up wins down the stretch. UCLA has a winnable game next time out when it hosts the Oregon State Beavers in a conference showdown.
Oregon State has picked it up of late after a barren stretch but is still in the lower half of the conference standings and will be the underdog in this one. The Beavers aren’t in the running for March Madness but will aim to play spoiler in this contest.
The Bruins are the home team and have the better talent so they will certainly be favored in this matchup.
At 11 p.m. ET, tune into FS1 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Thursday, February 15, 2018, at the Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Oregon State is 13-11 straight up and 9-15 against the spread. The Beavers are 2-4 against the spread on the road this year. Oregon State has covered in four of its seven games as the underdog this year, which is much better than its performance as the favorite.
UCLA is 17-8 straight up and 12-13 against the spread. The Bruins have covered in half of their 14 attempts at home this season. UCLA is 8-8 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Last Meeting
Oregon State defeated UCLA 69-63 in Corvallis the first time these two teams met back on January 18th. Sharp shooting from behind-the-arc and clutch free throws in the final minutes were the difference for the Beavers who fended off a late run by UCLA to pull out the victory.
Sophomore Tres Tinkle, whose late three-pointer and unshakable performance at the line helped seal the deal for Oregon State, finished with a team-high 16 points for the Beavers. Juniors Drew Eubanks and Stephen Thompson Jr. each added 12 points in the win.
UCLA struggled offensively in that first matchup, shooting just 37.9 percent from the field as a team and finishing just 7-of-23 from three-point range. Junior guard Aaron Holiday finished with a team-high 22 points for the Bruins in the loss. UCLA hadn’t quite hit its groove at that point but has been playing better of late.
Player to Watch
Holiday – UCLA’s leading scorer has been a consistent contributor to this UCLA squad since he joined the team as a freshman, but has elevated his game this year as a junior. Holiday is averaging 19.1 points and 5.5 assists per game in his first full season as a starter for the Bruins.
He also averaged double digits coming off the bench in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. And, this year, as UCLA looks to make a late-season push in hopes of snagging an NCAA tournament berth, he will be the one the Bruins look upon to lead them.
Holiday had 17 points, eight assists and two steals in UCLA’s upset over Arizona last week and has come on particularly strong in conference play. He had a career-high 33 points in a win over Washington State in late December and, despite not getting as much national recognition as some of college basketball’s other stars, he has certainly established himself as formidable threat on the court.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Pick
With Holiday leading the way, the Bruins should be able to exact revenge and take care of business against the Beavers at home. Keep an eye on the spread. UCLA will be favored and may still be able to cover in this one if it stays efficient from outside.
The Bruins are the choice to both win this game and cover the spread, improving their chances at qualifying for March Madness.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: UCLA 83, Oregon State 73
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