The UCLA Bruins (19-8, 10-6 Big Ten) look for their ninth win in their last 11 games as they host the Ohio State Buckeyes (15-12, 7-9 Big Ten) on Sunday afternoon.
After getting blown out at home by a reeling Northwestern squad, it's hard to put much faith in the Buckeyes. See why I won’t be doing so with my Ohio State vs. UCLA predictions and college basketball picks for February 23.
Ohio State vs UCLA prediction
My best bet
UCLA -6.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Consistency is something that I always look for in college sports teams. It’s hard for these teams to remain constant from game to game for a variety of reasons — being a young adult, on your own, with your entire future dependent upon your performance; not to mention conflicting NIL interests and coaching turnover.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have stood out for the wrong reason in the consistency department, epitomizing “Jekyll and Hyde” on the hard court. Jake Diebler’s squad has put forth a few strong performances (20-point win over Kentucky, win at Purdue) but the resume is littered with numerous confounding performances.
No loss stings as bad as the 70-49 loss at home to shorthanded Northwestern on Thursday. That disgraceful performance put a huge dent in the Buckeyes’ chances of going dancing in March, and there are major concerns about how they’ll bounce back after a few short days to recuperate and now traveling across the country.
The UCLA Bruins are in fine form, having won eight of their last 10 games. But they, too, suffered a disappointment last time out by falling 64-61 to Minnesota. I have more faith in Mick Cronin’s squad bouncing back, as this is a better scheduling spot and the Bruins have been far more reliable across the last month-plus.
The Bruins have been one of the best teams in the country in their last 10 games, ranking 11th in BartTorvik since January 17. That ranking doesn’t appear to be a fluke — they have three potent big men (Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey, Aday Mara), defend the air out of the ball, and are laden with solid guards and wings.
Trying to judge Ohio State’s mercurialness has been difficult this year, but I know one thing — I don’t trust them on the road. The Buckeyes rank 321st in Haslametrics’ Away From Home metric and are 3-5 ATS on the road.
The Bruins are 9-5-1 ATS at home, and I’ll be backing them to stay hot as February winds down and Cronin coaxes the best out of a well-constructed roster heading into March.
Ohio State vs UCLA same-game parlay (SGP)
UCLA -6.5
Under 140
UCLA has been headed on a warpath dead-set on the Under, going 1-5 O/U in its last six games. This coincides with 7-foot-3 Spanish behemoth Aday Mara receiving increased playing time, and considering he’s a shot-swatting monster (16.7% block rate), it doesn’t track as a coincidence.
Ohio State’s offense operates best when it can get to the rim, ranking 10th in Haslametrics’ near-proximity field goal percentage. That’s precisely the type of look that UCLA is best positioned to defend, ranking sixth in near-proximity attempt rate.
The Bruins are 10-17 O/U overall this year, including a 5-10 O/U record at Pauley Pavilion. They slow down the pace (313th in KenPom’s tempo metric) and the Buckeyes don’t exactly put the pedal to the metal (234th in BartTorvik’s tempo metric across the last month), so I’ll bet on another Under coming to fruition.
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Ohio State vs UCLA odds
Ohio State vs UCLA live odds
Ohio State vs UCLA opening odds
- Spread: Ohio State +6.5 | UCLA -6.5
- Moneyline: Ohio State +233 | UCLA -283
- Over/Under: Over 140.5 | Under 140.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Ohio State vs UCLA betting trend to know
UCLA is 13-2 straight-up at Pauley Pavilion and 9-5-1 ATS. Find more college basketball betting trends for Ohio State vs. UCLA.
How to watch Ohio State vs UCLA
| Location | Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Sunday, 2-23-2025 |
| Tip-off | 3:45 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBS |
Ohio State vs UCLA key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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