UCLA (+2.5) Faces Their Third Top-Five Opponent Of The Season Tonight

Dick Vitale won’t be able to call Coach K’s last Duke vs. UNC 😢 — let’s talk UCLA vs. Arizona 👇

Arizona vs. UCLA Preview

Some times the best things in life are worth the wait. And for those who can make it until the 11:00PM ET tip, there’s one heck of a college basketball matchup going down at Pauley Pavilion tonight. #7 UCLA will host #3 Arizona in a battle between the Pac-12’s top two teams — here’s how the lines are looking 👇

#3 Arizona @ #7 UCLA Betting Preview

• Spread: Arizona -2.5

• Moneyline: Arizona -155 (bet $155, win $100), UCLA +120 (bet $100, win $120)

• Over/Under: 152.5

The regularly star-studded conference rivalry has leaned in UCLA’s favor in recent seasons, with the Bruins having won the last five matchups 📈

Don’t Sleep On The Wildcats

Tied for fourth in the PAC-12 preseason poll, it’d be a bit of stretch to say Arizona has come out of nowhere this season. But seeing as they didn’t crack the AP Top 25 until Week 3, the 16-1 Wildcats have certainly been outperforming expectations in Tommy Lloyd’s first year as head coach

• The Arizona offense has been one of best in the country, ranking second nationally with 88.7 PPG (behind only Gonzaga’s 90.2) and first with an average scoring margin of +24.4 

• The Wildcats are especially good at sharing the ball — they’re the only team in the country averaging over 20 assists per game, and their 21.3 APG is two more than the next closest team

• Seven players are averaging at least two dimes per outing, including star sophomore guard Bennedict Mathurin, who also chips in 17.5 points and 6.1 boards a game

But for as good as Arizona has been so far this season, they have just one win over a team currently ranked in the Top 25 (an 83-79 victory over Illinois). The battle-tested Bruins undoubtedly present their toughest challenge yet

• UCLA has already matched up with two teams in the top-five this season; they took down #4 Villanova and fell to #1 Gonzaga back in November

• After suffering their second defeat of the season in an overtime loss to Oregon, they’ve returned to form with three straight conference victories 

• Preseason All-American Johnny Juzang paced the Bruins in scoring in each of those wins; the guard is averaging 24.5 PPG on 57% shooting from the field over the past four games

Juzang has one of the smoothest jumpers in college basketball, and if he keeps hitting them at this rate, Arizona will have a tough time adding another tally to their unblemished 6-0 conference record

Trivia question: Johnny Juzang is looking like the true frontrunner for PAC-12 Player of the Year, but UCLA hasn’t had a player honored with that award in over a decade. Who was their last winner? (answer below)

Michigan State vs. Illinois Preview

You can bank on a Big Ten slugfest going down just about every night of the week, and tonight’s headliner takes places in Champaign, where #24 Illinois will host #10 Michigan State. Take a look at the lines ahead of the first meeting of the season between the two teams👇

#10 Michigan State @ #24 Illinois Betting Preview

• Spread: Illinois -5.5

• Moneyline: Illinois -238 (bet $238, win $100), MSU +190 (bet $100, win $190)

• Over/Under: 144.5

Like Arizona, MSU was unranked for the first few weeks of the season, prior to emerging as one of the better teams in the country

• The Spartans jumped up four spots to re-enter the top-10 in this week’s poll, thanks in large part to a double-digit win in Wisconsin over a Badger team that had won its previous seven games

Meanwhile, Illinois nearly dropped out of the rankings entirely after a two-loss week, featuring defeats against #4 Purdue (in double-OT) and Maryland

• Wooden Award candidate Kofi Cockburn missed the game at Maryland due to concussion protocols; the big man ranks top-10 in the county in PPG (21.1, T-8th) and RPG (11.8, 3rd)

Cockburn’s status for tonight is still up in the air, but the belief is that the star center will return for the crucial conference showdown. If he ends up being a scratch, expect the line to shift in favor of the Spartans ⚔️

For My Parlay Gurus

Arizona and USC have both emerged as serious threats, but I still think the PAC-12 is UCLA’s to lose. I expect them to show as much tonight against the current conference leader, especially with fans finally returning to the stands. With Cockburn back, I’m going with the Illini as well; peep this parlay 👇

• UCLA +2.5 vs. Arizona: -110

• Illinois -5.5 vs. MSU: -106

$100 on this bet would win you $271 — if we hit, make sure to email [email protected] for $100*. First come, first serve 😉

Trivia question: Kevin Love was named PAC-10 POY in 2008 following a stellar freshman season that saw him finish with 17.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 23 double-doubles. He was UCLA’s second-straight honoree after guard Arron Afflalo won the award in 2007