On Friday night, the Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins will meet in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. This game is huge for both teams, but for very different reasons, as UCLA looks to lock up a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament while Oregon just looks for a win to get into the field. Here, we give you our college basketball picks for Oregon vs UCLA.
Oregon vs UCLA Betting Pick
| ℹ️ The Pick: | Oregon +6 |
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This game will be played at T-Mobile Arena at 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
Why Bet on Oregon:
✅ Both teams will come out with a sense of urgency in this game, but this is Oregon’s season on the line. They will come out and play like a team that needs to win, and keep this one close, win or lose.
✅ UCLA ended up covering the spread against Colorado in the quarterfinals on Thursday. But that game was way closer than the final score indicated, and they will be in for another tight game in this one.
✅ N’Faly Dante has shot 9/14 from the field in two games against UCLA this season and he will be efficient again here, but at a higher volume to keep his team hanging around.
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Oregon Ducks: In Need Of a Season Defining Win
The Oregon Ducks won their first game in the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday night, winning against Washington State by pulling away in the final minutes. But they are still projected as outside of the NCAA Tournament field by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. Now, the Ducks are presented with a tough challenge in this Oregon vs UCLA game, but that challenge also represents a huge opportunity for the Ducks.
If the Ducks manage to beat the Bruins, they will almost surely be admitted into the NCAA Tournament. By beating a team that could end up as the number one overall seed in the tournament, Oregon would prove once and for all that they belong in the field of 68.
To get that win over the Bruins, Oregon has to find a way to get N’Faly Dante more involved offensively. He has been efficient from the field in two games against the Bruins, but needs to take more shots in order to get his team over the hump in Las Vegas.
UCLA Bruins: Two Wins Away From a One-Seed
The UCLA Bruins survived and advanced in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals, sneaking past the Colorado Buffaloes. That win put UCLA two wins away from a Pac-12 title, which would almost certainly land them a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. For UCLA to advance past Oregon, the Bruins will look to devastate the Ducks from three-point range once again.
UCLA shot 54.5% from three-point range in their last meeting against the Ducks, making six of their 11 three-point shot attempts. UCLA is not going to take a ton of threes, but their efficiency can be a weapon in its own right.
