Check out our free Denver vs UCLA pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Los Angeles. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Denver vs UCLA Pick & Preview: Saturday, December 10th Betting Odds
Pioneers vs Bruins Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Denver Pioneers at UCLA Bruins
- Where: Los Angeles at Pauley Pavilion
- Date: Saturday, December 10th
- Betting Odds: Denver +27, DEN +3600 | UCLA -11046 O/U 146.5
Pioneers Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs UCLA, the Denver Pioneers will be taking the floor for the 11th time this season and have an overall record of 8-2. So far, the Pioneers have played 6 games on the road, with a record of 5-1. For the season, Denver has been the underdog in 2 games, sitting with a mark of 1-1. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Pioneers being +27 point underdogs.
Denver will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Tommy Bruner who is averaging 15.6 points per game for the Pioneers. Bruner is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Pioneers’ offensive gameplan is the play of Tyree Corbett who has hit 53.9% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 12.3 points per game.
Coming into today’s game, Denver will be looking from some improved play from their offense. Currently, the Pioneers are ranked 223rd at 70.5 points per game. A major reason for their low scoring mumbers is the fact that they tend to work the clock on offense. This year, they are the 407th ranked team in terms of pace. When looking at their 3-point shooting numbers, Denver is close to the NCAA average at 36.8%.
Bruins Preview:
UCLA will take their 4 game win streak into today’s game. So far, the team has an overall record of 7-2. Currently, the Bruins have been the home team 7 times, sitting with a record of 6-1. The Bruins’ are sitting with a betting line that is -27 points in their favor. For the season, UCLA has been favored to win in 8 games, sitting with a mark of 7-1.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. comes into today’s game as the Bruins’ leading scorer at 17.33 points per contest. Not only has Jr. been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is UCLA’s top rebounder at 5.67 boards per contest. Behind Jr., the team has benefited from the strong play of Tyger Campbell who is second on the team in scoring at 13.89 points per game. Overall, he has hit 39.0% of his shots and is adding 2.22 boards per game.
On offense, UCLA is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.1 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 9 games, they have only hit 35.2% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 31.5% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: UCLA Bruins -27
UCLA Bruins will tip off their matchup over Denver Pioneers as the strong favorites to pick up the win with a point spread sitting at -27. Our analysis like’s UCLA’s chances to pull away with an easy win and cover the spread. When looking at how each team likes to play, both UCLA and Denver are near the NCAA average in possessions per game. We like how this scenario favors UCLA, as throughout the game their superior talent should come through in an easy win. Although the Bruins don’t have a great track record vs the spread as the betting favorite, going 2-3 (last 5), we like their chances to come away with the ATS win.
