The UCLA Bruins are set to face the Marquette Golden Eagles this weekend. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our UCLA Marquette prediction, odds, and pick.
UCLA basketball is back on the map, but now the question emerges for anyone who studies college basketball odds: Are the Bruins ready to stay at the top of the sport for the next several years and remain the blue-blood powerhouse they once were? No, they don't need to reach a John Wooden standard, but UCLA has not been annually relevant on a long-term basis since the 1990s, when the Bruins often reached the Sweet 16 and were a regular part of the national conversation. Yes, they made three straight Final Fours under coach Ben Howland in the 2000s, but those three years gave way to a meager set of season which led to Howland's ouster in the early 2010s.
Mick Cronin reached his first Final Four at UCLA this past March, a remarkable joyride which began with the First Four and went all the way to a memorable national semifinal against Gonzaga, a classic game college basketball historians will discuss 30 years from now. Cronin has been able to recruit elite talent, suggesting that he can indeed turn UCLA into a juggernaut once again. An early-season loss to Gonzaga showed that the Bruins have a lot of work to do, but a win over Villanova indicated how tough an out the Bruins are likely to be this coming March. Factor that into a UCLA Marquette pick.
Marquette coach Shaka Smart knows what it's like to go from the First Four to the Final Four. Ten years before Cronin turned the trick in 2021, Smart blazed the trail in 2011 with VCU. Smart couldn't solve the puzzle at Texas, but Marquette might be a better fit for him and his career. Early in the season, Marquette beat Illinois. That seemed like a high-quality win at the time, and it still might be, but Illinois has had its share of struggles early in the season, so it's hard to evaluate exactly where Team Shaka truly stands in the larger scheme of things. Marquette was wiped out in the second half by Wisconsin earlier this month. The Golden Eagles have taken a few hits, but everyone who studies college basketball odds knows they will load up for this home date with UCLA, a game which is to be circled on the calendar and given a maximum of importance.
Here’s how the bookmakers have set the odds:
College Basketball odds: UCLA-Marquette Odds
UCLA: -7.5 (-110)
Marquette: +7.5 (-110)
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
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Why UCLA Could Cover the Spread
The Bruins are a much better team. Marquette does not have players who can match up with Johnny Juzang or Jaime Jaquez. UCLA will be able to score against a Marquette defense which just isn't physically imposing. Marquette is scrappy, but not overwhelming. There's a difference between the two. UCLA should get a bucket when it needs one in this game. Reflect on that point when making your UCLA Marquette prediction.
Why Marquette Could Cover the Spread
The Golden Eagles might not be a better team than UCLA in general, but they will be playing in front of a loud Milwaukee crowd in this game and will treat Saturday's contest as a Super Bowl. Shaka will have the joint rocking, and since UCLA's defense was exposed in the loss to Gonzaga, you know Shaka will look at film and give his guys a good plan. Marquette is getting seven and a half points. It seems more than reasonable to think MU can keep this game within two scores (six points or fewer).
Final UCLA-Marquette Prediction & Pick
Marquette will play well for 30 minutes, but then UCLA's talent and skill will take over. The upset won't happen, and UCLA won't even lose this game against the spread, either. Bruins by 10.
Final UCLA-Marquette Pick: UCLA -7.5
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