The UCLA Bruins take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Check out our college basketball odds series for our UCLA Gonzaga prediction and pick. Find how to watch UCLA Gonzaga.

The UCLA European experiment is off to an encouraging start. UCLA didn't beat Marquette (a top-five team) earlier this week in the Maui Invitational, but it did come very close, walking away with plenty of reasons to feel emboldened about the coming season. UCLA didn't have Berke Buyuktuncel in the lineup for the first few games but has integrated him into the lineup this week in Hawaii. The European experiment also includes Jan Vide and Aday Mara, giving the Bruins a very international flavor and a lineup very different from what they had the past few seasons with Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell. UCLA left the Marquette game thinking it can develop its roster and reach its potential over the course of the full season.

Gonzaga has reason to feel good about its season, too, although there is one big point of concern for coach Mark Few. Guard Steele Venters, who was expected to be a regular rotation player and collect roughly 20 minutes per game this season if not more, is out for the season with an injury suffered a few weeks ago. That limits Gonzaga's bench and has forced Few to reconsider his options. However, even without Venters, Gonzaga gave Purdue a very good, tough battle earlier this week in Hawaii. The Zags played strong defense. They didn't have enough offense to win the game, but they looked the part of a team which could compete on a physical level with a bruising Big Ten opponent ranked No. 2 in the country. That's good news for the future.

So, in many ways, UCLA and Gonzaga are in the same boat: Growing into the season with young and new lineups, but showing early signs of progress and offering real hope they can blossom into elite teams by season's end. It's the last game of the Maui Invitational on Wednesday in Hawaii.

Here are the UCLA-Gonzaga College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: UCLA-Gonzaga Odds

UCLA Bruins: +4.5 (-110)

Gonzaga Bulldogs: -4.5 (-110)

Over: 137.5 (-115)

Under: 137.5 (-105)

How To Watch UCLA vs Gonzaga

Time: 11:59 pm ET / 8:59 pm PT

TV: ESPN2

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why UCLA Could Cover the Spread

The Bruins made a lot of progress against Marquette and were then able to get a breather on Tuesday by playing Chaminade, the lower-division school which is regularly part of the Maui Invitational. Gonzaga had to play Syracuse, which required more energy from the Zags. UCLA should be able to keep this game very close with its defense against a Gonzaga offense which doesn't have the elite scoring it possessed in previous seasons with Drew Timme and others on the court. UCLA can make this game a street fight, which is exactly how head coach Mick Cronin wants it. UCLA can lose this game by four points and still cover the spread. That seems like a very legitimate possibility.

Why Gonzaga Could Cover the Spread

The Zags just couldn't make big shots against Purdue. They will likely shoot better in this game against UCLA, and what will help them is that they're not going up against Purdue's Zach Edey, the giant in the paint who alters so many of the shots he isn't able to block. Going against UCLA isn't easy, to be sure, but the Bruins don't have an eraser akin to Edey, and that alone should bump up the Zags' overall shooting percentage.

Final UCLA-Gonzaga Prediction & Pick

These are two evenly-matched teams, but they're also teams with a lot of question marks. Stay away from this game and wait for a live-betting opportunity.

Final UCLA-Gonzaga Prediction & Pick: Gonzaga -4.5