UCLA Bruins vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Prediction, 1/4/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UCLA Bruins vs Nebraska Cornhuskers

Date: Saturday, January 4, 2025

Location: Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE

TV: FOX

Pinnacle Bank Arena is the site where the Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-2) will compete against the UCLA Bruins (11-2) on Saturday.

The UCLA Bruins took the court against Gonzaga and earned the victory with a final of 65-62 in their last contest. UCLA ended the contest with a 36.4% FG percentage (20 out of 55) and buried 12 out of their 24 shots from beyond the arc. From the charity stripe, the Bruins knocked down 13 of 18 shots for a percentage of 72.2%. In the matter of hauling in boards, they earned 35 with 11 of them being of the offensive variety. They also distributed 16 dimes for this game while forcing the other team into 15 turnovers and earning 9 steals. In terms of defense, UCLA allowed their opponent to shoot 45.5% from the floor on 25 of 55 shooting. Gonzaga recorded 17 assists and had 3 steals in this contest. In addition, Gonzaga collected 30 boards (8 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Gonzaga finished the game at 62.5% from the charity stripe by burying 5 of their 8 shots. They buried 7 of 24 tries from distance. When discussing fouls, the Bruins ended up finishing with 15 while Gonzaga accumulated 15 fouls.

Eric Dailey Jr. is a player who was important in this matchup. He shot 50.0% from the floor and also distributed 2 dimes. He played 26 mins played and grabbed 6 boards. He ended up walking away with 18 points on 5 out of 10 shooting.

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UCLA comes into this game with a record of 11-2 this year. They currently have an average of 77.4 points per contest (139th in the nation) while shooting 47.3% from the floor. The Bruins are shooting 37.1% on shots beyond the perimeter (99 of 267) and 68.8% from the charity stripe. As a unit, UCLA is grabbing 34.6 boards per game and has accumulated 216 dimes for the year, which is 94th in the country in terms of passing the ball. They cough up possession 11.5 times per contest and as a unit they commit 17.8 fouls every game.

On defense, the Bruins are able to force 18.2 turnovers per contest while drawing 19.0 personal fouls. They rank 96th in college hoops in giving up assists with 156 surrendered for the year. The Bruins defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 40.1% (262 of 654) and they surrender 31.0 boards per contest as a squad. They concede 29.6% from beyond the arc and they are 7th in Division 1 in points per game from their opponents (58.7).

The last time they took the court, the Nebraska Cornhuskers took home the win by a final score of 77-43 against Southern. The Cornhuskers snagged 37 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive boards totaling 44 in this contest. They also coughed up the ball 14 times, while earning 3 steals for the game. Southern was called for 17 personal fouls for this game which got the Cornhuskers to the free throw line for 18 tries. They were able to knock down 12 of them for a percentage of 66.7%. With regard to shots from 3-point land, Nebraska made 13 out of 30 tries (43.3%). Overall, the Cornhuskers finished shooting 26 out of 53 from the field which had them at 49.1%. The Cornhuskers permitted Southern to make 17 of 67 tries from the floor which left them shooting 25.4% in the game. They went 12.5% from downtown by shooting 3 out of 24 and finished the contest at 6 out of 16 at the free throw line (37.5%). When discussing how they rebounded, Nebraska allowed Southern to snag 36 in total (14 offensive).

Connor Essegian ended up having an impact for the Cornhuskers in the game. He accumulated 20 points in his 27 mins on the hardwood, but went home with no dimes. He converted 6 out of 13 for this contest giving him a rate of 46.2%, and accumulated 6 rebounds.

Nebraska has a record of 11-2 for the campaign. When it comes to offensive execution, the Cornhuskers are shooting 47.2% from the floor, which is ranked 91st in the country. Nebraska has earned 1,010 pts this season (77.7 per contest) and they pull down 36.8 boards per contest. They are getting an assist 13.8 times per game (210th in college hoops) and they are giving up possession 12.1 times per game. The Cornhuskers commit 15.8 fouls per contest while shooting 76.5% from the free throw line.

The Cornhuskers on the defensive side of the court are 43rd in Division 1 in PPG surrendered with 65.1. They are able to force 14.2 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 38.1% from the field (17th in college hoops). The Nebraska defense gives up 30.3% on shots from beyond the arc (115 of 379) and opponents are converting on 68.9% of their foul shots. They relinquish 11.2 assists and 33.8 boards per contest, which ranks them 70th and 151st in Division 1.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Nebraska

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