Gonzaga vs UCLA Odds and Picks (Nov. 23)

• Gonzaga is a 5.5-point favorite over UCLA on Tuesday in the Good Sam Empire Classic
• Gonzaga is the top-ranked team in the nation and UCLA is No. 2
• A look at the matchup and odds can be found below with a prediction

College basketball’s top-ranked teams go head-to-head when #1 Gonzaga plays #2 UCLA at 10:00 pm ET, Tuesday, at the Good Sam Empire Classic at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Both teams enter with 5-0 records and are coming off wins in Vegas on Monday night. Gonzaga routed Central Michigan 104-57 and UCLA got past winless Bellarmine 75-62.

Gonzaga is favored in a game that will be shown on ESPN.

Gonzaga vs UCLA Odds

Odds as of November 22nd at DraftKings.

Gonzaga Breezes in Tune-Up

Gonzaga rolled to a 51-point win over Central Michigan but should be well-rested as Mark Few distributed the playing time evenly with no one playing more than 26 minutes.

Freshman center Chet Holmgren led the Bulldogs with 19 points. He was one of five Gonzaga players to score in double figures along with freshman guard Nolan Hickman (16), sophomore guard Julian Strawther (15), senior guard Rasir Bolton (11) and junior forward Drew Timme (11).

Chet Holmgren is an alien. #collegebasketball #CBB #gonzaga pic.twitter.com/PFgbHa4U7t

— Ben Cary (@Ben_Cary_) November 23, 2021

Gonzaga shot a sizzling 56.0% (42 of 75) while holding the Chippewas to 30.4% (17 of 56). The Zags also had a huge 60-28 advantage in rebounding. Timme was one of four Gonzaga players with seven boards.

One of the top national Player of the Year candidates, Timme leads Gonzaga in scoring at 18.8 points a game. He is also averaging 5.6 rebounds.

Strawther has taken a step up in his second collegiate season with averages of 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds.

Nice way to start the second half @drewtimme2 to @JulianStrawther pic.twitter.com/lWA1kNyTVm

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) November 16, 2021

Holmgren, considered the top recruit in the nation among the high school class of 2021, is scoring 13.2 points and pulling down 6.2 rebounds a game. Bolton has been a contributor, scoring 10.4 points a game following his transfer from Iowa State.

Sophomore guard Dominick Harris has yet to play this season because of a foot injury.

Depth Shows Up for UCLA

While four of UCLA’s five starters have scoring averages in double figures this season, the Bruins showed off their depth against Bellarmine.

Freshman wing Peyton Watson came off the bench to score 19 points in 20 minutes as he shot 9 of 12 from the field. He came into the game averaging just 3.3 points.

Some crisp ball movement has Peyton Watson (@peytonwatson_) up to 15 points and the lead to 22 — both game highs!

📺: ESPN+
📱: https://t.co/YTDLXnul0Q#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/etbbAYgSe3

— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) November 23, 2021

Senior reserve guard David Singleton played 26 minutes and totaled 13 points – on 5-of-8 shooting — and four assists while knocking down three three-point field goals. He established a season high in scoring.

UCLA’s leading scorer, junior guard Johnny Juzang, matched Singleton’s performance as also had 13 points, four dimes and three threes. He is averaging 19.8 points through the Bruins’ first five games.

UCLA started slowly, making just 2 of its first 10 shots from the field. However, a 19-2 run, sparked by Watson’s nine points, put the Bruins ahead 29-10 with 5:48 left in the first half and they never lost control of the game.

Defense played a big role in UCLA’s win as junior wing Jaime Jacquez Jr. had four steals and the Bruins forced 17 turnovers. Bellarmine also shot just 20.0% (3 of 15) from three-point range.

That continued a strong start to the season for Jacquez, who is scoring 15.8 points and pulling down 7.6 rebounds a game.

UCLA’s (-2.5) Jaime Jacquez Jr. for the win AND cover @stoolbenchmob pic.twitter.com/VAW1VxchEc

— Bet The Hoops (@betthehoops) September 21, 2021

Senior guard Jules Bernard is averaging 15.4 points and 3.0 assists and junior guard Tyger Campbell has averages of 10.8 points and 8.4 rebounds.

However, Juzang (5 of 14), Jacquez (3 of 11) and Campbell (1 of 7) combined to shoot 28.1%

Senior forward Cody Riley (knee) missed his fourth straight game. He and freshman forward Mac Etienne (undisclosed) are out indefinitely.

Gonzaga vs UCLA Prediction

Gonzaga has won three of its last four meetings against UCLA, including a memorable 93-90 victory in overtime in the national semifinals of last season’s NCAA Tournament on Jalen Suggs’ buzzer beater.

Timme had 25 points Gonzaga while Juzang poured in 29 for UCLA. Gonzaga also got 11 points and eight assists from Nembhard. Jacquez finished with 19 points for UCLA, Campbell had 17 points and seven assists and Riley posted 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Tuesday’s game will have a hard time matching that one for excitement. Look for it to be another close one, though, making UCLA the choice with the points.

The Pick: UCLA +5.5 (-110)