Updated March 11, 2026
The Big Ten Tournament continues Thursday night with Rutgers facing UCLA in a third-round game at the United Center in Chicago. Rutgers enters this contest as the No. 14 seed after picking up a solid victory over Minnesota in the previous round, while UCLA earned the No. 6 seed following a strong regular season. The Bruins have shown the ability to score in bunches and control games with their depth, but Rutgers arrives with renewed confidence after their win on Wednesday that set up this Rutgers vs UCLA matchup.
Pick: UCLA -12.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 3 out of 5
Rutgers enters the third round after defeating Minnesota in the previous round behind a massive performance from guard Tariq Francis, who scored 29 points and drilled five three-pointers. That win snapped a long stretch without success in the conference tournament and gave the Scarlet Knights some life entering this game. Rutgers finished the regular season with a losing record, yet the team has shown flashes of strong defense and timely scoring over the past week.
UCLA finished the regular season with over 20 wins and enters the tournament playing solid basketball. The Bruins recently rolled past USC in convincing fashion, showing the balanced scoring and rebounding that carried them through conference play. UCLA has been especially dangerous from the perimeter and has multiple players capable of taking over a game offensively.
Another key storyline is the previous meeting between these teams earlier in the season. UCLA dominated that contest with a 98-66 victory. The Bruins shot 56% from the field and knocked down 12 three-pointers in that game, highlighting a major gap in offensive efficiency between these teams.
UCLA Bruins
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Stat | Rutgers | UCLA |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 70.9 | 78.0 |
Points allowed per game | 75.2 | 70.9 |
Team Field Goal % | 42% | 47% |
Rebounds Per Game | 33.0 | 32.5 |
Assists Per Game | 11.9 | 16.1 |
Score Projection: Rutgers 68 – UCLA 82 ATS PRO
Win Probability: Rutgers 22%, UCLA 78% ATS PRO
Rutgers deserves credit for reaching the third round and enters this contest with confidence after an impressive win over Minnesota. The Scarlet Knights rely heavily on Tariq Francis to generate offense, and if he gets hot again, the team could stay competitive for a good chunk of this game. Still, UCLA holds advantages in shooting efficiency, depth, and rebounding, while having more rest entering this contest. This game might not be quite as lopsided as the previous meetings between these teams this year, but I will lay the points with UCLA nonetheless.
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