Gonzaga vs UCLA Basketball Prediction & Picks: Best Bets for Bulldogs-Bruins

One of the best matchups of the Sweet Sixteen sees Gonzaga take on UCLA in the second of tonight’s West Regional semifinals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (9:45 pm ET, CBS).

Both the third-seeded Bulldogs (30-5) and second-seeded Bruins (31-5) are looking to make it back to the Elite Eight after falling victim to a Sweet Sixteen upset last season. Gonzaga fell to Arkansas at this stage of the tournament last year, while UCLA went down to North Carolina.

Who will advance to a regional final matchup with either ninth-seeded Arkansas or fourth-seeded UConn? Read on for our Gonzaga vs UCLA prediction and picks.

Looking for More College Basketball Picks?

Over the next few couple of weeks, we will have predictions and picks for men’s and women’s March Madness, as well as the NIT.

• Michigan State vs Kansas State Prediction & Picks (East Regional Semifinal)
• Arkansas vs UConn Prediction & Picks (West Regional Semifinal)
• FAU vs Tennessee Prediction & Picks (East Regional Semifinal)

And if you are interested in checking out picks for the games we don’t cover, there are a number of reputable sports handicapping services that we recommend.

One of those sources is Doc’s Sports, which has a great offer going right now.

Doc’s Sports offers a lot of free picks and content, but they also offer $60 worth of premium sports picks free for new premium signups.

Gonzaga vs UCLA Odds

Odds are via FanDuel as of Thursday, March 23, 2023.

Spread

• Gonzaga +1.5 (-120)
• UCLA -1.5 (-102)

Over/Under

• Over 145.5 (-105)
• Under 145.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Gonzaga -110
• UCLA -110

Can Gonzaga Score on UCLA?

Tonight’s matchup between the Bulldogs and Bruins is very much about an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

Gonzaga’s offense is the unstoppable force, as the WCC champions rank first at KenPom in adjusted offensive efficiency.

UCLA is the immovable object on the other end, ranking second behind Tennessee in adjusted defensive efficiency.

For Gonzaga, the magic number may be 75. UCLA has given up 75 or more points only 11 times over the last two seasons. In those 11 games, they are just 3-8 SU and 1-10-0 ATS.

Eleven is the number of times that Gonzaga has scored 75 or more points in a row since a 78-70 overtime loss at Saint Mary’s on February 4. And in those 11 games, the Bulldogs are 11-0 SU and 6-5-0 ATS.

This season, the Bulldogs have scored 75 or more points in 28 of their 35 games, and they are a perfect 28-0 SU when they have hit or exceeded that number. Overall, Gonzaga has won 47 straight games when scoring 75 or more points.

To date, the most recent time they suffered an SU loss despite scoring 75 or more points was their 91-82 loss to Alabama on December 4, when the Crimson Tide stunned them in Seattle.

Gonzaga vs UCLA Prediction and Picks

Prediction for Gonzaga vs UCLA: Gonzaga to win

Picks for Gonzaga vs UCLA: Gonzaga ML (Best Value: Caesars Sportsbook & BetMGM)

There have been a few teams this season who succeeded in limiting Gonzaga, and all except Loyola Marymount reached at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

So, it certainly can be done. But the Bulldogs also hung 100 points on Alabama, who is one spot behind UCLA in adjusted defensive efficiency. And they scored 77 points in regulation twice against Saint Mary’s (ninth in adjusted defensive efficiency), who didn’t allow any other team to score 75 or more in regulation this season.

So, if there’s any team that can break the Bruins down, it’s Gonzaga. Will they be able to do it? We’ll see, but I’m backing the Bulldogs here.

Where to Bet on Gonzaga vs UCLA

Here are four legal sports betting sites that we highly recommend and have reviewed, where you can bet on this year’s NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments, as well as the 2023 NIT.

March is always a very popular time to bet on college basketball, and you can get in on the action at any of the top sports betting sites out there.

But these four books are all reputable names, and you can trust them with your betting funds.

Other March Madness Content at Betting News

If you’d like to check out our other NIT and March Madness betting content, here’s a rundown of what we have put together to help you with your college basketball betting until the season wraps up in Houston on April 3.

• NIT Bracket & Odds
• Men’s March Madness Bracket
• March Madness Odds
• Women’s March Madness Bracket & Odds
• Final Four Odds
• March Madness Sleepers
• March Madness Betting Trends & Stats to Know for 2023
• Where to Find the Best March Madness Betting Picks
• Best March Madness Betting Sites
• Best March Madness Bracket Challenges
• Betting News Bracket Mania (Our FREE March Madness Bracket Challenge! – CLOSED but you can look at the standings and entries)