Week 2 of the 2020-21 college basketball season will close down Sunday, December 6, with the marquee Pac-12 matchup between the California Golden Bears and UCLA Bruins, so here are the best betting picks and tips for the upcoming clash at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
The Bruins have dominated Golden Bears lately, winning their previous six encounters. UCLA outlasted California 50-40 as a 9-point home fave in their last head-to-head duel on January 19, 2020, and the Bruins will open as firm favorites for this one on BetAmerica.
The Golden Bears seek revenge, coming off a home loss to Arizona State
The California Golden Bears dropped to 2-2 on the season following a 70-62 home loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils this past Thursday. They failed to cover a 6.5-point spread, but the Bears battled bravely against the arguably better team.
California ranks 124th in the KenPom rankings. The Bears score just 98.7 points per 100 possessions (168th in the country), but they allow only 94.6 in a return (86th).
Junior Matt Bradley is the Bears’ best player this season, no doubt. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 19.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while making 41.0% of his field goals. The Bears take 24.3 attempts from deep per contest (97th), but they shoot only 29.9% from beyond the arc (192nd).
The Bruins easily defeated Seattle for their second straight win
After a 73-58 loss to the San Diego State Aztecs and a 107-98 triple-overtime victory over the Pepperdine Waves, the UCLA Bruins finally had an easy game this past Thursday. They dismantled the Seattle Redhawks 78-52 at home, covering a 20-point spread.
Interestingly, six different players average points in double figures for the Bruins. Junior Jalen Hill had his season debut last Thursday, posting a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Tyger Campbell is averaging 16.0 points and 5.7 assists per game, while Chris Smith is adding 14.0 points and 7.7 boards a night.
UCLA is No. 40 in the latest KenPom rankings. The Bruins are tallying 108.9 points per 100 possessions (22nd in the country) while yielding 91.8 in a return (52nd).
Trends:
California:
- 2-5 ATS in the last seven games overall
- 1-4 ATS in the last five matchups with UCLA
UCLA:
- 7-1-1 ATS in the last nine games overall
- 6-1-1 ATS in the last eight home contests
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”ncaab/ucla” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]The Winner Prediction
The Bruins are 6-0 straight up in their last six matchups with the Golden Bears, covering in four of the previous five. I expect these trends to continue, as the Bruins are a much better team than the Bears, at least on paper.
The Bears have a few talented players, but their depth will be a problem against the loaded Bruins’ roster. Both teams are capable of playing good defense, but the Bruins certainly possess more firepower on the offensive end.
Pick: Take UCLA -10.5
The Total:
The under is 4-1 in California’s last five games overall, and it is 6-2-1 in UCLA’s previous nine outings. Also, three of the Bruins’ last four home tilts went in the under, as well as seven of the previous nine encounters between UCLA and California.
The previous clash between the Bears and Bruins produced only 90 points in total. Both teams love to play at a slow pace, so I’m not going to overthink this one. Give me the under on the totals.
Pick: Go under 130.5