Long Beach State vs UCLA Odds, Picks, and Predictions (Nov. 15)
- The UCLA Bruins host the Long Beach State Beach on Monday as massive favorites
- UCLA needed overtime to get by Villanova with an 86-77 win last time out
- Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of Monday night’s matchup at Pauley Pavilion
The UCLA Bruins (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) look to extended their season-opening surge with a third straight win, both straight up and against the spread, when they play host to the visiting Long Beach State Beach (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) on Monday as 28-point favorites.
Tip off is set for 11pm ET on the Bruins’ home court at Pauley Pavilion.
Long Beach State vs UCLA Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach State Beach | +28 (-110) | Ov 146 (-108) | +1400 |
| UCLA Bruins | -28 (-110) | Un 146 (-110) | -3300 |
*Odds at DraftKings as of November 14, 2021.
Beach vs Bruins Betting Trends
Monday night’s matchup marks the first meeting between these two teams since November 2019.
The Bruins have dominated in head-to-head meetings, winning outright in six straight clashes since 2009. However, UCLA has been far from a safe bet when facing the Beach, covering just once in their past four meetings, capped by a narrow 69-65 win as heavy 17-point home chalk two years ago.
ICYMI, Pauley was electric on Friday … and the Bruins put on a show.
✅ Juzang >> 25 points, eight rebounds
✅ Jaquez Jr. >> 21 points, 13 rebounds
✅ Bernard >> 16 points, nine reboundsRECAP: https://t.co/GfZ3YvBZ7r
📸 via USA Today Sports pic.twitter.com/yAqBnvqswG
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) November 13, 2021
Indeed, with the exception of a 114-77 rout of Long Beach State back in 2016, the Bruins have claimed victory by narrow margins at times. Their past two victories came by an average margin of just 7.5 points, and less than 10 points in two of four outings.
Such close contests have paid dividends for sports bettors taking the OVER, which has paid out in three of their past four meetings.
BIG TIME TEAM WIN. WELCOME BACK LONG BEACH!! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/dZpfbZYVIO
— Long Beach State Men's Basketball (@LBSUMBB) November 11, 2021
Both these teams enjoyed a run of success at the sportsbooks down the stretch last season. After struggling to consistently cover during the regular season, the Bruins went undefeated ATS during their six-game run towards the Final Four at March Madness.
And while the Beach posted just win SU win in their final six contests, they enjoyed a 5-1 ATS run. They have also overperformed when pegged as double-digit underdogs, going 4-5 SU and 6-2-1 ATS in their past nine November 2019.
Long Beach State Beach Outlook
The Long Beach State will have enjoyed a four-day layoff when they hit the floor for Monday’s date with UCLA.
After an exhibition win over Biola, the squad needed to overcome a 12-point second-half deficit to eke out a 95-89 win over the Idaho Vandals in last Wednesday’s season-opener, while failing to cover as 7.5-point chalk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E1USujbqy4
Despite the disappointment to sports bettors, the win is welcome start for the Beach, who are coming off a disappointing 2020/2021 season, which they closed out with a 6-12 overall SU record and a distant ninth-place finish in the Big West conference standings.
Joel Murray led the attack in his LBSU debut. A junior guard who transferred in to Long Beach after leading West Texas A&M to the Division II national championship game last season, Murray drained a game-high 28 points.
Long Beach State pulls off the victory in overtime against Idaho, 95-89.
Joel Murray led the way with 28 points. Jordan Roberts had a double double.
Trevante Anderson dropped 26 for Idaho.
Good game for the Vandals to open up the new ICCU Arena.
— Nick Lorensen (@nlorensensports) November 11, 2021
Jordan Roberts kicked off his senior year in style, picking up his first double-double, and was one of three Beach players to record 16 points in last week’s win.
However, it is too soon to say whether this team has enough to keep pace with the bruins, and win two in a row for the first time in 25 road contests.
UCLA Bruins Outlook
After thumping Cal State-Bakersfield 95-58 in their season opener, the UCLA Bruins remained perfect on Friday night with an 86-77 overtime win over the visiting Villanova Wildcats as 3-point favorites.
But like the Beach in their opening night contest, the Bruins had to play catch-up to nail down the win, falling behind by as many as 10 points midway through the second half before embarking on a 15-7 run to force an extra frame.
Johnny Juzang. That jumper is so pure. (via @espn) pic.twitter.com/vXLM0fHu8h
— SLAM University (@slam_university) November 13, 2021
Despite those concerns, UCLA has now covered in three straight home dates, ending a shaky 3-4 ATS stretch. Perched at No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25, the Bruins also sit at No. 6 in adjusted offence at KenPom through two contests.
Johnny Juzang led the Bruins attack for a second straight outing in Fridays win over Villanova. UCLA’s leading scorer last season, Juzang compiled 25 points and eight rebounds in the victory over the Wildcats, and has now averaged 22 points through two games.
There's no better feeling than to have our fans back in Pauley … who enjoyed the show ⁉ #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/wD6uNZBrJg
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) November 13, 2021
Junior guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. also enjoyed a big night after seeing limited action on opening night. A major contributor during UCLA’s drive to the Final Four last March, Jaquez contributed 21 points, including seven points in overtime.
He also added 13 rebounds to record his first double-double of the season.
The Pick: Beach +28 (-110)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
