The Northwestern Wildcats' three-game winning streak should have head coach Chris Collins and the NU roster — what’s left of it — commended.
In February, the Wildcats suffered catastrophic injuries to top performers Jalen Leach and Brooks Barnhizer, taking a collective 31 points and valuable senior leadership out of the lineup.
Northwestern has been able to stay in contention for a spot in the Big Ten tournament despite those missing pieces, getting surprise contributions from freshman K.J. Windham in recent games.
Windham is the focus of my UCLA vs. Northwestern predictions and college basketball picks for tonight's showdown.
UCLA vs Northwestern prediction
My best bet
K.J. Windham Over 8.5 points (-115 at bet365)
My analysis
On a team with many upperclassmen, K.J. Windham’s emergence as a true freshman is surprising. The 6-foot-3 guard had scored in double figures just once this season before being thrust into major minutes when Barnhizer and Leach went down.
He erupted with 20 points in 27 minutes in the loss to Oregon on February 11 and has averaged 25 minutes in NU’s last five games, scoring just shy of 13 points per contest. He’s not shy about taking shots, attempting nine field goals per game during that span with more than half of those looks coming from beyond the arc.
Windham is coming off his best performance in the win over Iowa on Friday. He played 27 minutes and scored 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting (4-for-7 on 3-pointers) along with five rebounds and two assists.
Collins needs another big day from his sudden star against the UCLA Bruins tonight. The Bruins are a big step up in defensive competition compared to NU’s recent wins over Iowa, Minnesota, and Ohio State.
UCLA has been solid defensively (17th in defensive efficiency) but that foundation is crumbling in Big Ten tilts. The team has struggled on the road in conference play, giving up almost 73 points against — compared to around 60 points against at home.
Mick Cronin’s pressure defense will test Windham’s ball control, considering he’s brand new to the point guard position, and the Bruins protect the paint, which pushes offenses to the outside. Their opponents shoot the fourth-most 3-point attempts in the Big Ten (24 per game).
Windham will get minutes, that’s for sure, and he’ll take plenty of shots — especially from 3-point range. It will just come down to whether he can stay hot in the face of a stiffer defensive opponent. He had a 0-for-7 outing against Nebraska last month, which worries me.
His scoring prop for tonight is set at 8.5 points Over/Under, which seems a touch short considering Windham’s uptick in minutes, shot volume, and how much he’s handling the basketball for NU. My projection comes in just north of 12 points — showing respect for UCLA’s defense — but Windham has a much higher ceiling.
UCLA vs Northwestern same-game parlay (SGP)
K.J. Windham Over 8.5 points
K.J. Windham 3+ assists
K.J. Windham 2+ threes
Windham’s scored 15+ in three of the past five games while averaging nine shots in that span. My forecast is around 12 points with some projections hovering just below 10.
Windham is playing more point guard and has dished out 3+ assists in three of his last five outings. The Bruins push teams to the perimeter and Windham isn’t afraid to launch from long range. I like him to hit two or more triples, which he’s done three times in the last five outings.
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UCLA vs Northwestern odds
UCLA vs Northwestern live odds
UCLA vs Northwestern opening odds
- Spread: UCLA -3 | Northwestern +3
- Moneyline: UCLA -155 | Northwestern +130
- Over/Under: Over 132.5 | Under XXX
Odds courtesy of bet365.
UCLA vs Northwestern betting trend to know
Northwestern has gone Over the total in 21 of its last 34 games (+6.45 units / 17% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for UCLA vs. Northwestern.
How to watch UCLA vs Northwestern
| Location | Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, IL |
| Date | Monday, 3-3-2025 |
| Tip-off | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
UCLA vs Northwestern key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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