The UCLA Bruins may not be ranked nationally, but the squad is still one of the most dangerous team’s in all of college basketball. The Bruins are one of the highest-scoring groups in the nation and love to move the ball in transition and get easy buckets against confused defensives that can’t keep up. UCLA is still in the mix for the top seed in the Pac-12 with only two losses in conference play. The team begins a tough three-game road trip on Thursday night against Oregon, and then will play Oregon State and USC over the next nine days.

The Oregon Ducks started out the season with 13 straight victories, but they fell apart once they started Pac-12 Conference play and lost five games in a row .The squad was ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 before its losing streak and even moved as high as No. 10 in the nation. Oregon still believes that it has the talent to be a factor in the NCAA tournament and will look to turn things around during Thursday night’s matchup against the Bruins. Let’s take a closer look at the game with predictions and analysis.

UCLA at Oregon Betting Story Lines

UCLA is averaging 84.3 points per game on the strength of its four double-digit scorers. The team is being led by the all-around production of sophomore Jordan Adams, who averages 17.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and three steals per game on 45 percent shooting from the field. Guard Kyle Anderson is also a huge factor on the team, producing 15.5 points, nine rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.

The Bruins are 12-7 ATS and have covered four of their last five spreads. They are coming off a 12-point victory over California on Sunday. The team opened up an 11-point first-half lead and never looked back. Forward David Wear had a career night with 18 points and seven rebounds, while the rest of the squad stepped up on the defensive end to hold California to only 64 points on 34 percent shooing from the field.

Oregon was expected to be a major player in the Pac-12, but after seven conference games and five losses the team is ranked 10th. The Ducks are one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, yet they struggle to contain teams on the defensive end. The squad gave up an average of 87.6 points per game during its recent five-game losing streak.

Oregon has four double-digit scorers and is being led by the 17.6 points and 3.4 rebounds of junior Joseph Young. The team snapped its losing streak with a dominant 27-point victory over Washington State on Sunday. Oregon showed a renewed effort on the defensive side of the ball, holding Washington State to only 44 points on 10-of-40 shooting from the field. The Ducks had a solid effort all around and out rebounded its opponent by 19 boards while allowing them to shoot only 30 percent from the three-point line.

UCLA at Oregon NCAA Betting Odds and Key Trends

Oregon opened as a 2.5-point favorite over the underdog Bruins at BetOnline. Oregon is 4-0 ATS during its last four home games after playing three or more road games and 12-3-2 ATS in its last 17 games following a SU win. The team, however, is 1-7-2 ATS in its last 10 Thursday games and 1-7-1 ATS in its last nine overall games. Oregon is also 0-6-1 ATS over its last seven games against teams with winning SU records.

UCLA is 4-1 ATS in its last five games against teams with winning SU records and 4-1 ATS in its last five overall games. The team has also gone “under” in five of its last six games following an ATS win. Head-to-head, the road team has covered five of the last seven matchups, while the Oregon has covered the last four games.

Free College Basketball Picks: UCLA at Oregon Picks

Oregon has looked much worse than it actually is. The team has talent on its roster and matches up well against UCLA, another team that likes to push the pace on offense. Expect the Ducks to come into this matchup desperate to build a winning streak and get back into the mix as one of the better teams in the Pac-12. Oregon put on a solid defensive performance during its last outing, and that effort should continue on into Thursday’s game. The Ducks might be in a must-win situation against the Bruins—take the squad minus the points at home.

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