UCLA vs Arizona State Basketball Prediction, Odds & Picks: Will the Bruins win their 14th straight game?

Eddie Griffin

Tonight, the top two teams in the Pac-12 will face off in Tempe, as #3 UCLA (16-2, 7-0 Pac-12) visits Arizona State (15-3, 6-1 Pac-12) at Desert Financial Arena.

The matchup between the Bruins and Sun Devils is set for a 10:30 pm ET (8:30 pm local time), and you can catch it on FS1.

The Bruins have won 13 straight games since suffering back-to-back losses to Illinois and Baylor at the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas.

Will their streak continue tonight? Since ending 2022 with losses to San Francisco and Arizona, the Sun Devils have won their first four games in the new year and will be looking for a home sweep of UCLA and USC this week after a home sweep of Washington State and Washington and a road sweep of Oregon and Oregon State.

Read on for our UCLA vs Arizona State basketball prediction, as well our betting picks and analysis for tonight’s tilt in Tempe.

UCLA vs Arizona State Odds

Odds are via FanDuel as of Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 3:35 pm ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

  • UCLA -5.5 (-104)
  • Arizona State +5.5 (-118)

Over/Under

  • Over 134.5 (-110)
  • Under 134.5 (-110)

Moneyline

  • UCLA -205
  • Arizona State +168

Will UCLA’s Defense Deny Arizona State’s Upset Bid?

While tonight’s game sees the Bruins trying to maintain sole possession of first place in the Pac-12, Saturday’s game at Arizona is more important in the big picture for the Bruins, as both teams are looking to secure a high NCAA Tournament seed.

The Bruins may need to rely more on their offense to win in Tucson, as the Wildcats are one of the highest-scoring teams in college basketball.

But defense has been the backbone of their 13-game win streak, and Arizona State will be the latest team to get a crack at trying to break through the Bruins.

In this streak, UCLA has not allowed more than 66 points, and they have given up 60 or fewer points nine times, including each of their last four games.

Since escaping Pullman with a hard-fought 67-66 win over Washington State on December 30, the Bruins have really put the clamps down defensively.

Last Four Games for UCLA

  • 74-49 win at Washington: 19 of 55 (34.5%) FG, 2 of 25 (8%) 3PT
  • 60-58 win vs USC: 25 of 53 (47.2%) FG, 3 of 16 (18.8%) 3PT
  • 68-49 win vs Utah: 18 of 49 (36.7%) FG, 6 of 19 (31.6%) 3PT
  • 68-49 win vs Colorado: 15 of 49 (30.6%) FG, 4 of 14 (28.6%) 3PT

In last Saturday’s win over the Buffaloes, UCLA forced a season-high 23 turnovers. Fifteen of those turnovers came via steals, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. (four), Jaylen Clark (three), David Singleton (three), and Tyger Campbell (two) all recording multiple thefts.

UCLA vs Arizona State Prediction and Picks

UCLA vs Arizona State Prediction: UCLA to win

UCLA vs Arizona State Picks: UCLA to cover (Best Value: -4.5 @ BetMGM) & Arizona State team total under 64.5 (Best Value: FanDuel & BetRivers)

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Eddie Griffin

Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade. He joined the ranks of Betting News as a content manager. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on Twitter.

Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade. He joined the ranks of Betting News as a content manager. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on Twitter.