UCLA vs Colorado Picks and Odds
- Colorado will attempt to extend its winning streak to three games when it plays host to Pac-12 leader UCLA at 10 pm ET on Saturday
- UCLA has won four in a row to take a half game conference lead ahead of No. 19 USC, Colorado’s latest victim
- Check the odds, analysis and betting predictions below
Colorado (18-7, 12-6 Pac-12) will attempt to split the season series with league-leading UCLA when it plays host to the Bruins in a Pac-12 game at 10 pm ET on Saturday. The Buffs, who have won five of their last seven games, have clinched a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament, a school first.
UCLA (17-5, 13-3 Pac-12) brings a four-game winning streak and sole possession of first place into the second meeting between the two. Colorado hammered USC on Thursday to drop the Trojans out of first place.
UCLA vs Colorado Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA Bruins | OFF | +6.5 (-110) | Over 135.5 (-116) |
| Colorado Buffaloes | OFF | -6.5 (-110) | Under 135.5 (-106) |
Odds from FanDuel on Feb 26.
Colorado enters after its most decisive victory of the season, an 80-62 take-down of No. 19 USC that concluded a season sweep of the Trojans. Pac-12 player of the year candidate McKinley Wright IV and reserve forward Jeriah Horne had double-doubles for the Buffaloes.
UCLA closes the season with the first of three games against other title contenders. UCLA will play at Oregon on Wednesday and is at home to USC on Saturday.
Rocky Mountain High… And Low
Colorado, which has played most of the season just outside the AP Top 25 after opening 6-1, has been maddeningly inconsistent this season, the most up-and-down team in the Pac-12 without question.
The Buffaloes swept No. 19 USC and have handed the Trojans their two most lopsided defeats of the season, by 10 and 18 points. Those are the only two games USC has lost by double-digits. Colorado also swept Stanford.
At the same time, the Buffs have lost to the three worst teams in the league — Washington, California and Utah — teams that have only 13 league victories combined.
The common denominator in Colorado’s losses is that each came after a winning streak of at least two games, and each came in games in which the Buffaloes were favored by 8.5 points or more. The Utah loss was at home.
Balance is UCLA’s Byword
Coach Mick Cronin’s offense is based on a deliberate approach that seeks to create and exploit mismatches, with point guard Tyger Campbell directing the offense that makes good use of interchangeable perimeter pieces.
Guard Johnny Juzang leads the Bruins in scoring at 14.0 points per game, and is one of four starters averaging at least 9.5 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is second at 10.9 points per game. Only Juzang is averaging more than 10 field goal attempts per game.
Jules Bernard had 19 points, Juzang had 18, big man Cody Riley had 15 and Jaquez had 11 in the 76-61 victory at Utah on Thursday, while Bernard made 4-of-6 three point attempts. UCLA made a season-high 11 of 19 from distance.
Bernard’s physicality and athleticism has helped the Bruins overcome the season-ending knee injury suffered by forward Chris Smith in a home victory over Colorado on Jan. 2.
Strong Guard Matchup
Both teams are able to stay in rhythm and control tempo thanks to point guards Wright and Campbell, the truest pass-first point guards in the Pac-12.
Colorado’s Wright and UCLA’s Campbell are 1-2 in the league in assists, averaging 5.8 and 5.6 per game, respectively. Wright is fourth among Power six players.
Colorado is 17th in adjusted offensive efficiency in KenPom, and UCLA is 21st.
Campbell had 15 points and 11 assists in the Bruins’ 70-63 victory in Boulder last season, when Wright had 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Campbell had 11 points and 7 assists in the first meeting this season. Wright had 12 and 3.
Wright had a career-high 14 assists against USC on Thursday, when the Buffaloes made 12-of-24 three-point attempts. Horne tied a season-high with 24 points and was 6-of-9 from distance.
By the Numbers
Colorado is 9-1 at home this season, 7-3 ATS, all as a favorite. UCLA is 5-4 on the road, 3-6 ATS, and have split their two games as a road dog.
Recent results from both indicate a failure to live up to the oddsmakers’ expectations. Colorado is 3-6 ATS in its last nine, 2-3 at home. The Bruins are 2-8 in their last 10 ATS, 1-5 on the road, with their victory at Utah snapping a five-game drought.
Unbalanced schedule alert. @CUBuffsMBB has played 15 road games yet has a Top 25 Net and 3 Quad 1 wins. Coach Boyle can flat coach and has one of the beat leaders in CBB in @kin_wright25 all he does is play to WIN!!!!!
— Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) February 26, 2021
Colorado is No. 16 in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin, one spot behind USC as tops in the Pac-12. UCLA is 40th, slightly behind Arizona (38) and slightly ahead of Oregon (43).
UCLA swept the season series in 2020 and has won three in a row and six of the last 10.
Pick: UCLA +6.5 (-110)
Jack has covered college and professional sports for various Arizona media outlets since the 1980s and has written for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball America, among others. He staffed the 2015-17 World Series and has staffed four Super Bowls.
