The Washington State Cougars are set to face the UCLA Bruins. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Washington State UCLA prediction, odds, and pick.

Washington State is a fascinating team because, as college basketball odds experts are aware, the Cougars rose to the top 45 in the NET rankings despite lacking a high-end win on their resume. Washington State had a relatively unremarkable nonconference season in which it lost on home and neutral courts and did not make the big splash it hoped to. The Cougars have failed to beat Arizona, USC and Oregon in Pac-12 play. Their resume is not particularly impressive, but the analytics have liked Washington State because it has blown out several opponents, and the NET rewards margin of victory. Think about that point when considering a Washington State UCLA pick.

Washington State probably needs to sweep the Los Angeles schools this week. It won’t be enough to split games against UCLA and USC. The Cougars probably need two wins and then will need to do even more work at the upcoming Pac-12 Tournament. When considering a Washington State UCLA prediction, you need to know how desperate the Cougars are. They’re in must-win mode.

UCLA will safely make the NCAA Tournament, but there should be plenty of urgency for the Bruins entering this game. The Washington State UCLA odds are favorable to the Bruins, but that doesn’t mean they have played well of late. They lost to USC this past Saturday when the Trojans were missing their best player, Isaiah Mobley. Jaime Jaquez, Jr. has not been 100-percent healthy. UCLA’s bench has not given the production Mick Cronin needs from his reserves. The Bruins have been shaky in recent weeks and need a strong performance to remind themselves they are a Final Four contender.

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Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Washington State-UCLA odds:

College Basketball odds: Washington State-UCLA Odds

Washington State: +9.5 (-110)

UCLA: -9.5 (-110)

Over: 129.5 (-110)

Under: 129.5 (-110)

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Why Washington State Could Cover the Spread

The struggles of Jaime Jaquez, due to injury, are undeniably limiting UCLA’s potential at the moment. Those who follow the Bruins closely think Jaquez needs to sit a game or two and get fully healed so that he will be ready for March Madness. Cronin is playing Jaquez instead of benching him precisely because the UCLA bench is not as strong as Cronin had hoped. The Bruins are in an uncomfortable in-between situation entering this game, and Wazzu is going to go all-out in an attempt to save its season. This could certainly enable WSU to cover the large spread.

Why UCLA Could Cover the Spread

The Bruins know they have played poorly in recent weeks. At some point, one would think they will get sick and tired of playing at a diminished level. If the best version of UCLA shows up, and Washington State — having lost its last three games — doesn’t bounce back, the Bruins could easily cover the spread.

Final Washington State-UCLA Prediction & Pick

Washington State could certainly keep this game close, but UCLA has spent the last two weeks on the road: at Arizona, at Arizona State, at Stanford, at USC. The Bruins haven’t played a home game in quite some time. They will relish playing in Pauley Pavilion, and it will bring out their best.

Final Washington State-UCLA Pick: UCLA -9.5