This Thursday night at the McKale Center the UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats clash in a huge Pac-12 tilt between two of the top contenders for the regular season conference crown. The game is set to tip off at 9 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

The Bruins are coming off a 76-67 loss to No.16 Oregon this past Saturday as five-point favorites at home. It was just their fourth straight-up loss in 19 games this season, but it was the third time they failed to cover in their last four games to fall to a costly 7-11 against the spread. The total has stayed “under” in five of their last six games.

Arizona rebounded from a four-point loss to the Ducks on Jan.10 as a 1.5-point road favorite with back-to-back road wins over Oregon State and Arizona State. It is now 16-1 SU on the year and 8-7 ATS. The Wildcats are a perfect 9-0 SU (4-3 ATS) at home this season, and the total has stayed under in three of their last four games.

UCLA at Arizona Betting Storylines

UCLA continues to be a very talented team that has had trouble living up to all its potential so far. It has shown glimpses of evolving into a Top-10 team behind players such as Shabazz Muhammad and Jordan Adams but still lacks the consistency that is needed on a game-to-game basis. Muhammad leads the team in scoring with 17.9 points and is shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from three-point range. Adams is second on the team with 15.2 points, and Travis Wear is also scoring in double-figures with 12.5 points a game.

Overall, the Bruins are averaging 77.6 points while shooting 47.6 percent from the field. They are holding their opponents to 68.3 points a game while pulling down 38.2 rebounds. The big man underneath has been Kyle Anderson with an average of 9.1 rebounds a game. The net effect is a very dangerous team when it puts forth a full 40-minute effort.

Other than the loss to Oregon, the Wildcats have beaten everyone else they have faced, but there have been some close calls along the way. Other than a 17-point blowout over the Sun Devils their last time out, the average margin of victory in their last four games has been by less than six points. Give credit to Arizona for winning these games, but it helps to explain a 1-5 record ATS in their last six outings.

Arizona matches up well with the Bruins with an average of 75.8 points a game while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor. Mark Lyons has led the way with 15.2 points a game while hitting 43.7 percent of his shots from the field. Solomon Hill is chipping in 13.6 points and shooting 46.5 percent. The one edge in this matchup for the Wildcats would be their defense, which is holding teams to an average of just 61.4 points a game. 

UCLA vs. Arizona College Basketball Betting Odds and Trends

Arizona is listed by BetOnline as a xx-point home favorite with a total line at xxx.

The Bruins are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games and 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games against a team with a winning record. The total has stayed under in seven of their last eight conference games.

The Wildcats are 1-5 ATS in their last six Pac-12 games and 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a SU win. The total has stayed under in 13 of their last 16 games overall.

Head-to-head in this matchup, the favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings, and the total has stayed under in the last four games. UCLA is 2-5 ATS in its last seven trips to the McKale Center.

UCLA vs. Arizona Picks and Betting Predictions

The past trends in this contest do not favor UCLA, but current form does. Look for it to bounce-back from last Saturday’s loss to Oregon with a much better effort this Thursday night. The Bruins may not come out of this conference clash with the SU win, but they will push the Wildcats all the way to the limit to cover with the points. 

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