UCLA Hosts 25th-Ranked Cincinnati

UCLA Looking for Marquee Win

The 25th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCLA Bruins battle on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. Tip-off is at 4 pm on CBS. Oddsmakers opened the Bearcats as -2-point favorites versus the Bruins, while the game’s total opened at 148.5. The total has held steady, but the line is now Cincinnati as a 4-point favorite. These teams met nine months ago in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. UCLA won, 79-67. The Bruins forced the Bearcats out of their comfort zone with an uptempo style of play. They also avoided turnovers with only three committed all game. UCLA also had Lonzo Ball at point guard for that contest. They also lost forward T.J. Leaf and guard Isaac Hamilton. Plus they lost key reserve big man Ike Anigbogu. Cincinnati lost guards Kevin Johnson and Troy Caupain from last season’s starting lineup.

UCLA Looking for Leadership

UCLA was a 78-69 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Michigan Wolverines. They failed to cover the +6.5-point spread as underdogs. The Bruins blew a 15-point second-half lead in the loss to Michigan. Michigan forced 20 UCLA turnovers.  The Bruins need to cut that immensely against one of the most aggressive defenses in the nation at Cincinnati. The search for its identity without prominent members of the 2016-17 roster shaped the first month of the season. The suspensions of freshmen Jalen Hill, Cody Riley and LiAngelo Ball compounded concerns.

Cincinnati Defense Could Give UCLA Big Problems

Cincinnati was a 65-50 winner in its last match at home against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. They covered the -13-point spread as favorites. The Bearcats are playing defense like they have been taught throughout coach Mick Cronin’s tenure. Cincinnati ranks No. 4 in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom.com metrics, and No. 32 in turnover creation. The Bearcats climbed up the polls after a perfect start. They peaked at No. 11. Back-to-back losses to  Xavier on Dec. 2 and Florida on Dec. 9 sent Cincinnati tumbling. They rebounded nicely in the win against Mississippi State. Cincinnati leans as heavily on its starters. The Bearcats have found a cornerstone in swingman Jacobs Evans. He comes into Saturday’s game off performances of 23 points Dec. 2 vs. Xavier, and 24 points in the win over Mississippi State.

Recent Form

Cincinnati Bearcats

UCLA Bruins

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	81.60	54	75.44	197
Away Team Away Scoring vs Home Team Home Defense	68.00	156	75.86	224
Away Team Road Rebounds vs Home Team Home Rebounds Allowed	31.00	219	37.43	216
Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	84.78	31	60.60	11
Home Team Home Scoring vs Away Team Road Defense	88.86	33	77.50	160
Home Team Home Rebounds vs Away Team Road Rebounds Allowed	44.71	16	38.50	194

Head To Head Detail

College Basketball Betting Trends

Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Cincinnati is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cincinnati’s last 9 games on the road

UCLA Bruins
UCLA is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games
UCLA is 19-4 SU in its last 23 games
UCLA is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home
UCLA is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games at home

Cincinnati Bearcats

UCLA Bruins

Next up: Cincinnati home to Arkansas-Pine Bluff Tuesday, December 19 UCLA home to South Dakota Tuesday, December 19 Get all Your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.