Prairie View vs UCLA prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

12/17/2024 02:28 AM

It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Prairie View-UCLA prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Prairie View-UCLA.

The UCLA Bruins are taking on the identity of their head coach, in ways good and bad. Most of the time, however, it’s for the better. Mick Cronin teams can and do go through offensive droughts and can be very ugly at times. However, when a Cronin team is playing well, its defense is ferocious and will enable comebacks to occur not so much because of an avalanche of points, but because the opponent can’t score. That is what happened this past Saturday in Phoenix, as the Bruins roared back down the stretch to beat Arizona in a matchup of former Pac-12 schools now relocated to different conferences.

UCLA trailed 49-36 midway through the second half and looked dead in the water. However, the Bruins were able to crank up their defense and smother Arizona in the last 10 minutes. UCLA allowed just five points in those 10 minutes. Arizona made just one field goal attempt in those 10 minutes. Arizona didn’t hit a field goal in the final nine minutes. It was more than simply going ice cold. The Wildcats could not drive to the basket. They could not create separation from UCLA defenders. They could not pass the ball effectively in ways which put players in positions to score. The complete shutdown of the Arizona offense enabled the Bruins to overcome a large deficit and win.

UCLA did lose to New Mexico earlier this season, and the Bruins looked very ordinary on that night. Since then, however, the Bruins have consistently taken care of business, often away from home. UCLA won at Oregon just over a week ago, which was not an easy assignment at all. The Bruins then stacked on the Arizona win. They are building a good NCAA Tournament resume and just want to be able to keep the fun times rolling. It all starts at the defensive end of the floor for UCLA, which has shown in recent games that its toughness and hunger are substantial enough to win games. This UCLA team is showing that it is willing to pay the price and sacrifice at the defensive end of the floor so that team goals are elevated and ultimately achieved. Mick Cronin’s character is shining through on this roster, a great sign for the road ahead.

Here are the Prairie View-UCLA College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Prairie View-UCLA Odds

Prairie View: +33.5 (-106)

Moneyline: NA

UCLA: -33.5 (-114)

Moneyline: NA

Over: 148.5 (-114)

Under: 148.5 (-110)

How to Watch Prairie View vs UCLA

Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT

TV: Big Ten Network

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why Prairie View Will Cover The Spread/Win

The spread is gigantic, and as good as UCLA is, the Bruins’ offense is not a machine. If UCLA’s offense doesn’t play great, the Bruins don’t beat opponents by more than 33 points on most occasions. One bad shooting half from UCLA would almost certainly mean that Prairie View can keep this game close. Prairie View is also a team which will put up a fight. PV nearly won at Loyola Marymount on Saturday, losing in the final seconds of regulation after taking a late three-point lead.

Why UCLA Will Cover The Spread/Win

UCLA will hold Prairie View under 50 points. UCLA can score 84 points and win. That seems very achievable.

Final Prairie View-UCLA Prediction & Pick

Our lean is to UCLA, but the spread is huge. Pass.

Final Prairie View-UCLA Prediction & Pick: UCLA -33.5

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