The No. 4 UCLA Bruins look sweep the Utah Utes in 2023 in a key Pac-12 Conference game for both teams on Thursday night. UCLA, 23-4 (14-2 in the Pac-12) has won six straight game after most recently defeating Pac-12 cellar dweller, Cal, 78-43 last Saturday. Utah, 17-11 (10-7 in conference play), was swept on the road by Arizona and Arizona State last weekend, having fallen 67-59 to the Sun Devils in their most recent game. These teams faced off on January 12th, a decisive 68-49 UCLA win at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins have won six straight meetings between these two teams. UCLA is 15-12 against the spread, while Utah is 14-14 ATS thus far in the 2022-23 season.
Tipoff is set for 11 p.m. ET at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The Bruins are favored by 7 points in the latest UCLA vs. Utah odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 130.5. Before entering any Utah vs. UCLA picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 16 of the season 71-42 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UCLA vs. Utah. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for UCLA vs. Utah:
- UCLA vs. Utah spread: UCLA -7
- UCLA vs. Utah over/under: 130.5 points
- UCLA vs. Utah money line: UCLA -320, Utah +250
- UCLA vs. Utah picks: See picks here
Why UCLA can cover
The Bruins can clinch at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season title this weekend with a road sweep of Utah and Colorado. They also have a chance at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but UCLA may need to win its final four regular season games and the conference tournament in Las Vegas to gain that top seed. They are led by guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., who is the teams top scorer (16.8 points per game) and rebounder (8.1 rebounds per game). Three other Bruins guards average double-figures in scoring: Jaylen Clark (13.3 PPG), Tyger Campbell (12.2 PPG), Amari Bailey (10.3 PPG).
Mick Cronin's team generally plays with a smaller lineup but relies on defense. UCLA is sixth in the country in points against, allowing only 59.4 per game. In the last matchup against Utah, they held the Utes to less than 37% shooting and out-rebounded Craig Smith's squad, 40-26. One key for tonight's game is to hold the Utes to below their scoring average (69.8 PPG), as in three of four Bruins losses, they've allowed 77 or more points.
Why Utah can cover
Similar to UCLA, the Utes' defense is key to their success. They rank 26th nationally with their opponents averaging 62.9 PPG. Center Branden Carlson, who missed the teams' first matchup in January, leads the team in scoring (16.4 PPG) and rebounding (7.4 RPG), and should play a big factor against the less-polished Bruins big men. Guards Gabe Madsen (11.7 PPG), Lazar Stefanovic (10.5 PPG), and Marco Anthony (10.0 PPG) also average in double-figures for the Utes.
Utah still has outside NCAA Tournament hopes but must sweep UCLA and USC as well as win at Colorado next weekend to get back on the bubble heading into the conference tournament. The Utes rank 56th in the current NCAA Net Rankings but a win against UCLA would go a long way in raising those figures. To date, the Utes are 1-7 vs. Quad 1 teams, an early-December home win over Arizona. There should be plenty of motivation for Utah to rise to the occasion on Thursday evening.
How to make UCLA vs. Utah picks
The model has simulated Utah vs. UCLA 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins UCLA vs. Utah? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine to see which side of the UCLA vs. Utah spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 71-42 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
