UCLA vs Arizona Picks and Predictions: Bruins Won't Go Down Easily, if at All

The UCLA Bruins head to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats in a meeting between the Pac-12’s two heavyweights.

Thursday night’s game at the sold-out McKale Center will be the second meeting between these schools in a little over a week. The Bruins handled the then-ranked No. 3 Wildcats with ease on Jan. 25, coasting to a 75-59 win at home.

The two teams have since flipped spots in the AP Poll, with UCLA now at No. 3 and Arizona at No. 7. Will the Wildcats find revenge at home, or will the Bruins prove to be on another level?

Check out our college basketball picks and predictions for UCLA vs. Arizona on Thursday, February 3 to find out.

UCLA vs Arizona odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

Despite losing the first matchup, Arizona is expected to find revenge at home. The Wildcats opened -6.5 and now sit at -7 at the time of this writing. The total has taken some early steam to the Over, rising a point from 146 to 147. 

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.

UCLA vs Arizona predictions

• Prediction: UCLA +7 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 147 (-110)
• Best bet: Under 147 (-110)

Predictions made on 2/3/2022 at 9:35 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

UCLA vs Arizona game info

• Location: McKale Center, Tucson, AZ
• Date: Thursday, February 3, 2022
• Tip-off: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

UCLA at Arizona betting preview

Injuries

UCLA: Jaime Jaquez Jr. G (Questionable), Johnny Juzang G (Probable), Jaylen Clark G (Questionable), Mac Etienne F (Out).
Arizona: Kim Aiken Jr. F (Out).

Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Bruins are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as an underdog. Find more NCAA betting trends for UCLA vs. Arizona.

UCLA vs Arizona picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

One key handicapping factor in this game is the health and availability of UCLA’s roster. Johnny Juzang, the Bruins’ leading scorer by nearly 5 points per game, is expected to play after exiting COVID protocols earlier this week and practicing Wednesday. While one practice is certainly not ideal for a player averaging 18.1 points per game, the Bruins will be glad to have Juzang back in the fold as questions are still to be answered elsewhere.

Defensive stopper Jaylen Clark is expected to be out, but players like David Singleton can fill that role without too much of a drop-off. The big question is the health of Jaime Jaquez, who re-aggravated an ankle injury in the first half of Saturday’s win over Stanford. Jaquez’s status remains uncertain as of this writing. While his absence wouldn’t necessarily be a death blow, he averages 12.3 points, 5.3 boards, and 2.1 assists as an integral member of the lineup.

This is a big game as far as the regular season goes. UCLA has beaten Arizona six times in a row and will be looking to make it seven on Thursday night. The winner will possess the No. 1 spot in the Pac-12 standings, which could ultimately result in the No. 1 seed come the conference tournament. If we’re looking for an experience edge for this big game, that must lie with the Bruins, who boast Final Four experience from a year ago and have played in plenty of big games.

Arizona was coasting in Pac-12 play en route to some truly prolific offensive numbers (86 points per game on 48% shooting) but have recently hit a snag. The Wildcats shot miserably in the first meeting, hitting only 30.7 percent of their field goals. Kerr Kriisa was 0-12 from the field while guard Dalen Terry was 0-5. It’s easy to say that the shooting performance was an aberration, but the Wildcats came right out next game and shot 32.2 percent against Arizona State in a game they narrowly won thanks to a huge rebounding edge.

UCLA locked in on the defensive side of the ball and it paid dividends. The Wildcats didn’t get many easy looks all night long, and they missed what few open shots they did have. The Wildcats have been coasting for the majority of the year and have very rarely been truly tested. The one time they did face resistance against UCLA a week ago, the offense dissolved, and the game’s result was never truly in doubt.

The Wildcats should perform better at home and the shooting will likely improve to the mean somewhat, but this is far too many points for us to lay against a team of UCLA’s caliber. The health of Jaquez is a huge question mark, so monitor his status closely. It’s a comfort to know that the underdog is 18-4 ATS in the last 22 meetings between these schools.

Prediction: UCLA +7 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

While Arizona is 10-9 to the Over on the season, the Wildcats have become an Under team as they get into the thick of conference play. The Under has chased in seven of the last nine games, as Vegas has caught onto the fact that the Wildcats play at a fast pace and score a lot of points. 

Arizona racked up points against poor competition in the non-conference but has settled back down to earth in conference play. The only two times the Wildcats cashed the Over in the previous nine-game stretch came against two teams at the bottom of the conference, California and Washington. The Cats scored 95 and 96 points, respectively, in those games — a sign that the offense has piled on the points against poor competition.

UCLA is the No.3-ranked team in the country and will impose its will on this game. While it may not dominate the style of play as much as it did in the first meeting, this is a Top-10 defense that won’t give Arizona easy shots or wide-open transition buckets. We think there’s value in the Under.

Prediction: Under 147 (-110)

Best bet

The health of Jaquez looms large over this matchup. We feel far more confident in the UCLA side of things if he plays, but we feel good about the Under regardless of his status.

Arizona has piled on the points against subpar competition but gets a stiff test in this Top-10 UCLA defense. The Under is 6-0 in the Bruins' last six road games and 5-1 in the Wildcats' last six overall.

Give us the Under as our best bet. 

Pick: Under 147 (-110)

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