It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Minnesota-UCLA prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Minnesota-UCLA.
This is one of the late-night conference games on the Tuesday slate in college basketball. Weirdly but genuinely, the intrigue in this game is more connected to a Minnesota team which is going nowhere than to a UCLA team which is heading to the NCAA Tournament. Here’s the explanation: UCLA is going to play in March Madness, but the Bruins are not a factor in the Big Ten title race. They are not a factor in the battle for a top-four seed in March. The Bruins are going to settle into that 6-7 seed range and will be a floater in the bracket with a chance to pull off an upset and maybe get to the Sweet 16 at best, but UCLA is not especially strong. The Bruins are an unremarkable and solid team but not a group with a very high ceiling. UCLA has, to its credit, shaken off a four-game losing streak this season and has responded well to a chewing-out by head coach Mick Cronin. That said, the Bruins are still in a position where they are unlikely to make a very deep run in March. They would need a lot of things to come together next month, and nothing which happens against Minnesota is likely to change that overall outlook.
The real drama is attached to Minnesota in this game because of a wrinkle caused by conference realignment and, more specifically, the expansion of the Big Ten to 18 schools. Because of the expansion to 18 schools, the Big Ten Tournament is now not an automatic invitation tournament to every school in the conference. There can’t be an endless amount of first-round games; there need to be limits on participation. The Big Ten has capped its tournament field at 15 schools, which means the bottom three don’t qualify. The first round of the Big Ten Tournament has three games: The No. 15 seed plays No. 10, 14 plays 11, and 13 plays 12. Teams 16 through 18 in the standings get left home and their seasons will end on the final weekend of the regular season. Minnesota is fighting to escape that bottom three in the Big Ten. Hence, the Gophers’ situation offers more actual drama than UCLA’s right now.
Here are the Minnesota-UCLA College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Minnesota-UCLA Odds
Minnesota: +12.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +680
UCLA: -12.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -1100
Over: 129.5 (-105)
Under: 129.5 (-115)
How to Watch Minnesota vs UCLA
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
TV: FS1
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Minnesota Will Cover The Spread/Win
Minnesota just got a massive road win at USC which pushed the Golden Gophers above the cut line. Had Minnesota lost, it would have been in 16th place in the Big Ten, in position to get left home. Now at 5-9, the Gophers are in a tie for 13th place, half a game ahead of 15th-place Rutgers (5-10). The Gophers aren’t home free by any means. They still will need at least two more wins if not three to escape the bottom three in the Big Ten. However, the win over USC means their chances of escaping the bottom are a lot better than they were going into this past weekend.
Why UCLA Will Cover The Spread/Win
UCLA is playing good basketball. The Bruins just beat Indiana on the road this past Friday. They have won eight of their last nine games. They are getting enough offense to help their regularly strong defense. The good thing about a Mick Cronin team is that because its defense usually sets a high standard, the offense just has to be decent in order for the team to thrive. The offense doesn’t have to be spectacular; it just has to be generally competent and avoid face-planting. UCLA has been able to do that in recent weeks, and the results speak for themselves. UCLA is far better than Minnesota and should be able to mop up the Gophers without any problems.
Final Minnesota-UCLA Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to UCLA, but Minnesota is playing for its season whereas the Bruins know they will be in the NCAA Tournament. Maybe sit back and wait for a live-betting angle.
Final Minnesota-UCLA Prediction & Pick: UCLA -12.5
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