Gonzaga Bulldogs vs UCLA Bruins Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our UCLA vs Gonzaga NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Inglewood.

UCLA vs Gonzaga Prediction

Looking to win big? The Bruins and Bulldogs face off at 4:00 ET on FOX. The Bulldogs are hosting the game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 148.5 points, with Gonzaga being favored by -4.5 over UCLA.

UCLA vs. Gonzaga Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UCLA Bruins at Gonzaga Bulldogs
Where: Inglewood at Intuit Dome
Date: Saturday, December 28th
Betting Odds GNZG -4.5, UCLA +158 | GNZG -192 O/U 148.5

Bruins Preview: No Pressure for UCLA as Away Dogs

UCLA's season record now stands at 10-2 after a narrow 76-74 loss to North Carolina on Saturday. The Bruins were -1.5 favorites going into the game, but they not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 150, just over the 149.5 O/U line.

UCLA led 40-32 at halftime but struggled in the second half, allowing 44 points while scoring 34. The Bruins will need to address their second-half defense moving forward.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

UCLA's offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 49.1% from the field. They connected on 50% of their threes, hitting 9 of 18 attempts, and posted an effective field goal percentage of 56.6%. Their free-throw shooting was a weak spot, as they made just 59.1% of their attempts, going 13 for 22.

Tyler Bilodeau led the way with 26 points in 24 minutes, hitting 5 of 6 threes and shooting 64.3% overall. Ian Jackson added 24 points, shooting 61.5% from the field, while Sebastian Mack contributed 22 points, hitting 3 of 4 from deep. UCLA finished with 17 assists and 7 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bruins Team Defense

UCLA's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 76 points while allowing the opponent to shoot 49% from the field. They had a tough time defending the three-point line, where the other team hit 9 of 18 shots, good for 50%.

Inside the arc, UCLA allowed 17 two-point field goals on 35 attempts, a 48% shooting rate. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 22 times, where they made 13 free throws, shooting 59%. UCLA gave up 7 offensive rebounds.

Bulldogs Preview: Are Gonzaga Ready for a Home Win?

Gonzaga improved to 9-3 on the season with an 86-65 win over Bucknell on Saturday. Playing at home, the Bulldogs were heavy favorites, listed at -34, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 151, just under the O/U line of 154.5.

Gonzaga led 38-27 at halftime and picked up the pace in the 2nd half, scoring 48 points while allowing 38. Though they got the win, bettors were left disappointed as Gonzaga didn’t cover the large spread.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Gonzaga put up 86 points in their latest game, shooting 47.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 56.3%. They hit 61.1% of their two-point attempts, while connecting on 34.3% from beyond the arc, making 12 threes on 35 attempts.

The Bulldogs dished out 21 assists, with Graham Ike leading the way, scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes. Ike shot 73.3% from the field, including 1-of-2 from three-point range.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Even with Gonzaga allowing 65 points, their defense struggled to contain their opponent, who shot 47% from the field. Inside the arc, Gonzaga gave up 22 two-point baskets on 36 attempts, a 61% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Gonzaga's defense allowed 12 made threes on 35 attempts, with their opponent shooting 34%. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 9 times, where they converted 6 free throws for 66%.

Bruins vs Bulldogs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, UCLA has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 65 points per game.
Across the Bulldogs last three home games, the team averaged 83 points per game while allowing 77. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
The last ten games that UCLA was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 7-3 while going 6-4 straight up.
Over the team's last three games as the favorite, the Bulldogs struggled vs the spread going just 0-3. However, they still had a straight up mark of 2-1.