It’s been an interesting year for the UCLA Bruins. The Bruins were excited coming into this season with a few talented veterans and a talented class of incoming freshmen. However, a trip to Shanghai to start the season ended disastrously when LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill were arrested for shoplifting. Ball left the program and Riley and Hill were suspended for the rest of the season after the incident.
UCLA didn’t let that derail its season. Instead, the Bruins rallied and picked up a few key wins in order to make it back into March Madness. Their opponent in the First Four, the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, will provide a tough challenge though. The winner of this game will face Florida on Thursday.
This war on the floor will go down Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at 9:10 p.m. ET at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The game will be televised live on truTV. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game throughout March Madness.
Opening NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
St. Bonaventure +3.5
UCLA -3.5
Over/Under Check Back Later
The Bruins nearly knocked off Arizona in the PAC 12 semifinals, but instead lost the game, and the cover, in overtime. UCLA led for much of the way, but allowed Arizona to roar back late and then couldn’t muster a single point during the extra five minutes. That led to a brutal loss for those who had backed the Bruins on the college basketball betting line.
St. Bonaventure was one of the most nervous teams on Selection Sunday. The conventional wisdom was that the Bonnies needed to get to the Atlantic 10 Conference Final to feel good about their chances, but instead they lost to Davidson in the semifinals. After the Wildcats ended up claiming the A10 title, many thought St. Bonaventure was out considering the weakness of the conference, but the committee rewarded them for some big wins down the stretch.
Player to Watch
UCLA has been Aaron Holiday’s team this season. Holiday was not as hyped entering his junior year as Ball or fellow freshman Jaylen Hands, but he took over the leadership role on the team as the season wore on.
Holiday has been on the court for all but one minute in UCLA’s last five games, and as he has gone, so have the Bruins. In the Bruins’ last six games, when he has hit 48 percent or more of his shots, UCLA has emerged victorious. However, when he hits less than that, the team has lost.
On the season, Holiday is averaging 20 PPG and has sunk 46.3 percent of his shots. Where he does the most damage, and where the Bruins live or die, is beyond the arc. Holiday has hit 43.3 percent of his threes this season and is one of the top three-point shooters in the land.
Matchup to Watch
The Bonnies don’t have a lot of size in their regular starting lineup. The tallest player in their traditional starting five is just 6’7, and that can lead to teams exploiting them. However, their top two reserves, Josh Ayeni and Amadi Ikpeze, are both big bodies and it will be interesting to see how much Mark Schmidt plays them.
UCLA has one of the better rebounders in the country in Thomas Welsh. Welsh is averaging a double-double this season and is experienced enough to not be hampered by getting into foul trouble. He was big in the PAC 12 tournament and could have a great game here.
Free March Madness ATS Picks
The advanced numbers don’t like St. Bonaventure’s chances. Ken Pomeroy has the Bonnies as the 69th best team in the country and FiveThirtyEight likes UCLA too. As long as Holiday shoots well, the Bruins will get the win and handily cover the CBB betting line.
NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds: UCLA 79, St. Bonaventure 71
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