On quarterfinal Thursday in the Pac-12 Tournament, the Colorado Buffaloes and UCLA Bruins will square off in Las Vegas. Colorado picked up a win to start their tournament on Wednesday, while UCLA comes into the quarterfinals off of a first round bye. While the NCAA Tournament fates for these teams are likely sealed, this Colorado vs UCLA game could have a massive impact on the one-seed line when the field of 68 is announced.
Colorado vs UCLA Betting Pick
| ℹ️ The Pick: | UCLA -9 |
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This game will be played at T-Mobile Arena at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
Why Bet on UCLA:
✅ Colorado had to grind out a hard-fought win over the Washington Huskies on Wednesday. Asking them to come back and play arguably the best team in the conference right after that is a really difficult task.
✅ UCLA is one of the hottest teams in all of college basketball coming into the Pac-12 Tournament. They have won 10 games in a row, including one over Colorado during that span, and they will shine bright during tournament time.
✅ UCLA’s defense is simply remarkable. They allow 60.1 points per game and are ranked second in defensive efficiency by Kenpom. The Bruins will stifle the Buffaloes, like they do just about everyone.
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Colorado Buffaloes: Can Colorado Deal UCLA a Crucial Blow in One-seed Chase?
The Colorado Buffaloes won their opener in the Pac-12 Tournament over the Washington Huskies, holding off a late Washington comeback attempt to secure the win. Their reward for doing so is a matchup with the UCLA Bruins, who have proven to be the class of this conference so far this year. Colorado has nothing to lose in this game, as they look to spring an upset that can only help as they try to make a miracle run through this tournament to get to March Madness.
If Colorado wants any chance in this game, they are going to have to play with pace. UCLA is simply too hard to score against when their defense is set. That will mean the need to force turnovers and run in transition off of turnovers and missed shots.
UCLA Bruins: Looking For 11th Straight Victory
UCLA finished its regular season with a statement win over the Arizona Wildcats last Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. They come into this Colorado vs UCLA contest ranked second in the country and in line for a number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament. To keep those hopes of a one-seed alive, though, they will need to win their 11th straight game by defeating the Buffaloes here.
This season, UCLA defeated Colorado twice, once at home and once on the road. During those two games, the Bruins allowed just 55 points per game, giving up 56 points on the road and 54 at home. Their defense will be expected to propel them to victory again in this matchup as well.
Does UCLA Deserve a One-seed in the NCAA Tournament?
At this point, UCLA might not need to win the Pac-12 Tournament to get a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Being ranked second in the country going into this week, they could theoretically lose a conference championship game to a team like Arizona and still make it onto the one-seed line. Of course, they will look to remove any doubt by winning this tournament, but they shouldn’t need to.
The only real problem for UCLA should develop if they are unable to win a game like this one against Colorado. That would likely drop them back down to a two-seed, as a loss to Colorado on a neutral court would be considered a bad loss.
