UCLA Bruins (11-2) vs. Washington State Cougars (5-8)
The college basketball betting action continues Friday, December 30, with the Pac-12 Conference showdown from Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Washington, where the UCLA Bruins face off against the Washington State Cougars for the first time this season.
The Bruins aim for their third consecutive victory over the Cougars after sweeping Washington State in 2021-22. The visitors open as 9-point favorites with a total of 133.5 points.
The UCLA Bruins improved to 11-2 SU and 8-5 ATS following an 81-54 thrashing of the UC Davis Aggies on December 21. The Bruins extended their winning streak to eight games while covering a huge 22.5-point spread. They shot 49.3% from the field (5-for-10 from downtown) and posted a 15/12 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Junior guard Jaylen Clark posted an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double against the Aggies. He also had three assists and three steals. Senior guard Tyger Campbell notched 17 points and five assists, while fellow senior G Jaime Jaquez posted a line of 14 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Jaquez is now tallying 17.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, and Clark is adding 15.7 points and 6.7 boards a night.
“The way to get on the break more, and you probably can't steal it much more than we steal it, but you've got to rebound better. The defensive backboard is so important to the fast break. That's just an area where we have to improve.”
Coach Cronin, on Wednesday morning pic.twitter.com/QaqrtUCTAY
— UCLA Men's Basketball (@UCLAMBB) December 28, 2022
UCLA is 2-0 in conference play. The Bruins have defeated Stanford 80-66 and Oregon 65-56. They are No. 11 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 6 in the NCAA NET Rankings. KenPom has the Bruins at No. 4, as the Bruins score 116.8 points per 100 possessions (5th in the nation) and allow 89.0 in a return (10th). UCLA makes 54.5% of its 2-pointers (84th) and 37.0% of its triples (66th).