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The NCAA basketball season is now upon us! Villanova University will take on the UCLA Bruins in what should be an early-season classic! It's time to continue our college basketball odds with a Villanova-UCLA prediction and pick based on Villanova UCLA odds.
It's not every day you get to see two top-four teams in all of the NCAA face off this early in the season. These two teams are one of the more historic teams in all of NCAA sports. Villanova is ranked 4th and is fresh off a dominant victory over Mount St Mary 91-51. UCLA defeated CSU Bakersfield 95-58 which also proved to be a blowout. UCLA is ranked 2nd behind Gonzaga to start the season. It would sure be nice for UCLA if they eventually get that rematch from the Final Four loss to Gonzaga earlier in 2021. For now, they will need to focus on putting themselves into a position to achieve it.
Let's see how the bookmakers set the Villanova-UCLA odds for Friday night.
College Basketball Odds: Villanova-UCLA Odds
Villanova +3.5 (-118)
UCLA -3.5 (-102)
Over 138.5 (-110)
Under 138.5 (-110)
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Why Villanova Could Cover The Spread
It's tricky to determine how a top team will play against another top team in the NCAA. This will be the first time facing off against each other since 2010, where Villanova won by 12 points. Villanova is more than capable of covering this spread. It's going to take a massive effort on the boards because UCLA is known for rebounding and second-chance points. Head coach Jay Wright has seen a lot of early success in his career, so this will be an interesting game to watch.
Villanova is led by grad student and guard Collin Gillespie who averaged 14 points per game last season. He alongside guard Justin Moore should form one of the best backcourts in all of college basketball. If those two are on their game then they have a great chance of covering this spread Friday night.
Why UCLA Could Cover The Spread
UCLA is one of the more complete teams in the NCAA. They surprised a lot of people last year with their play in the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins were one of the last four in and made it all the way to the Final Four, where they ultimately lost to Gonzaga. They are getting back most of the roster and they are expected to be one of the toughest teams to beat this year. Similar to Villanova, UCLA's roster is filled with a majority of upperclassman. The Bruins are led by wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. and guard Tyger Campbell. Both are juniors and have the experience to lead this team back to the tournament.
UCLA can cover this spread if they play great team basketball. That seems like an obvious statement but it's one that UCLA relies on. They can do it all whether it's scoring, rebounding, or forcing turnovers. It's the aggressiveness from UCLA that sets them apart from many other teams. If that proves to be the case Friday night, then UCLA shouldn't have much of a problem covering the spread.
Final Villanova-UCLA Prediction & Pick
I expect UCLA to hang on and win this game. It's going to be close as both teams are coached well and display a ton of talent. Both teams have the depth if things don’t go right, so expect to see some situational awareness late in the game. Matchups ae going to be a factor late in the game because it's likely to be a close one. I'm picking UCLA to cover the spread.
Final Villanova-UCLA Pick: UCLA -3.5 (-110)
