Michigan Wolverines vs UCLA Bruins Matchup

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

Michigan vs UCLA Prediction

Betting on today's Wolverines and Bruins game? Catch the action at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA, as the Bruins hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on PEAC. The odds for this Big Ten conference game currently have UCLA as the -3.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 141.5 points.

Michigan vs. UCLA Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Michigan Wolverines at UCLA Bruins
Where: Los Angeles at Pauley Pavilion
Date: Tuesday, January 7th
Betting Odds UCLA -3.5, MICH +140 | UCLA -166 O/U 141.5

Wolverines Preview: Taking a Look at the Wolverines Chances on the Road

Michigan improved to 11-3 on the season with an 85-74 road win over USC on Saturday. The Wolverines entered the game as -5.5 favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 159 exceeded the O/U line of 151.5.

Michigan led 42-38 at halftime and maintained their edge by outscoring USC 43-36 in the second half.

Wolverines Offense Breakdown

Michigan's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 85 points while shooting 52.7% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 61.8%, thanks to 61.3% shooting on two-pointers and 41.7% from beyond the arc. They also hit 81% of their free throws, going 17-for-21 from the line.

Danny Wolf was a standout for the Wolverines, finishing with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists, shooting 75% from the field and 66.7% from three. Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates III each added 19 points, with Yates hitting 50% of his threes. Tre Donaldson and Nimari Burnett both contributed 16 points, with Donaldson hitting 4 of 6 from deep, and Burnett connecting on 3 of 5 threes.

Wolverines Team Defense

Michigan's defense gave up 74 points, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field, hitting 27 of their 62 attempts. Inside the arc, they connected on 21 of 44 shots, good for 47%.

From three-point range, the Wolverines allowed 6 made threes on 18 attempts, a 33% clip. The other team also went 14/22 from the free-throw line, shooting 63%. Michigan gave up 12 offensive rebounds.

Bruins Preview: Does UCLA Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

UCLA fell to 11-3 on the season after a 66-58 road loss to Nebraska on Saturday. The Bruins entered the game as +3 point underdogs and didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 124, falling short of the 133.5 O/U line.

After a 24-24 tie at halftime, UCLA allowed 42 points in the 2nd half while scoring 34. The Bruins will need to tighten up defensively as they look to bounce back from this loss.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

UCLA's offense struggled in their last game, scoring just 58 points with a field goal percentage of 38.6%. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.1%, largely hindered by their 14.3% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting only 4 of 28 attempts.

Inside the arc, the Bruins were much more efficient, connecting on 62.1% of their two-point shots. Brice Williams led the team with 16 points, despite shooting just 2 of 12 from the field. Tyler Bilodeau added 15 points, shooting 66.7% overall and 33.3% from three-point range.

Bruins Team Defense

UCLA's defense held their opponent to just 66 points, allowing them to shoot 32% from the field. They limited two-point opportunities, with the other team making only 10 of 27 attempts for 37% shooting.

From beyond the arc, UCLA's defense gave up 7 threes on 25 attempts, a 28% success rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line, where they hit 25 of 29 shots, an 86% clip.

Wolverines vs Bruins Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Wolverines last ten road games, the team averaged 69 points per game while allowing 72. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 4-6, while going 4-6 straight-up.
Across their last five home contests, UCLA has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 63 points per game.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Wolverines have a straight up record of 1-9. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-8.
Against the spread, the Bruins have put together 1-2 in their last three games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 2-1 straight up.