The No. 16 Oregon Ducks look to get back in the win column as they face the surging UCLA Bruins on Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins have won four straight to make up for a four-game losing streak before that, whereas the Ducks have covered the spread just once since the calendar flipped to 2025.
Will these teams stay the course or change direction? Check out my Oregon vs. UCLA predictions and college basketball picks below to find out.
Oregon vs UCLA prediction
My best bet
UCLA -4.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Although the Oregon Ducks are ranked 16th in the country, recent results haven’t exactly inspired confidence. After falling 69-77 to lowly Minnesota in their last contest, the Ducks have dropped two of three straight up and six of seven against the spread.
The UCLA Bruins stand on the opposite end of the momentum spectrum, winning four straight games. They were in a world of hurt following a four-game losing streak to begin 2025 but have since responded excellently.
So, what’s changed? The emergence of 7-foot-3 Spaniard Aday Mara, most notably. He’s a force on both ends of the court and has earned Mick Cronin’s trust lately, and it’s not a coincidence the Bruins are playing some of their best basketball of the season now that Mara is seeing heavy minutes.
“If he’s so good and is such a game changer, what took so long for him to see the floor consistently?” you might ask. Cronin is notoriously hard on his players, for one, and the frontcourt was loaded with options, for another.
Marquee portal addition Tyler Bilodeau leads the team in scoring with 13.9 ppg. At the same time, Eric Dailey has been the ninth-most valuable player in the country, according to Evan Miya’s player ratings.
Bilodeau’s been dealing with an ankle injury — the reason Mara was thrust into his new role — but is expected to play on Thursday, along with guard Dylan Andrews, who was injured late in the USC game.
That means UCLA should be closer to full health than it has been in quite some time, and it now has three star players in the frontcourt to complement a backcourt so flush with options that two double-digit scorers from a year ago, Sebastian Mack and Lazar Stefanovic, are coming off the bench.
UCLA should continue improving as the season goes on now that Cronin’s public callouts of his team have finally resonated. Oregon, on the other hand, ranks just 61st in BartTorvik since conference play began and is outside the Top 60 in efficiency on both ends of the court.
Oregon vs UCLA same-game parlay (SGP)
UCLA -4.5
Under 140.5
UCLA’s already salty defense is even better now that there’s a 7-foot-3 behemoth affecting nearly every shot near the paint. The Bruins rank 20th in adjusted deficiency on the season, and Mara has 10 blocks in his last two games alone, so his pairing with Dailey gives UCLA an elite defensive frontcourt that should give Oregon trouble.
These teams combined for 144 points in the initial meeting, a 73-71 Bruins victory in Eugene. UCLA has an outlier shooting performance from 3-point range (12-for-23) and Oregon shot the ball well, too (47% from the field, 43% from deep). Cooler shooting in the rematch would likely result in an Under.
This is a higher total than we’re used to seeing for a game featuring these two coaches, but is it warranted? None of the last six meetings between these two schools have seen a total higher than 137. Since these teams are 3-5 O/U in the last eight meetings despite the lower totals, I fancy the Under.
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Oregon vs UCLA odds
Oregon vs UCLA live odds
Oregon vs UCLA opening odds
- Spread: Oregon +4.5 | UCLA -4.5
- Moneyline: Oregon +165 | UCLA -200
- Over/Under: Over 140.5 | Under 140.5
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Oregon vs UCLA betting trend to know
Oregon is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games. Find more college basketball betting trends for Oregon vs. UCLA.
How to watch Oregon vs UCLA
| Location | Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Thursday, 1-30-2025 |
| Tip-off | 11:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
Oregon vs UCLA key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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