Penn State Nittany Lions vs UCLA Bruins Matchup

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

Penn State vs UCLA Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Nittany Lions versus the Bruins? Tip off is at at 4:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on BTN. The game will be played at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. This Big Ten conference matchup has an over/under of 142.5 points, and UCLA is favored to win by -8.5 at home vs. Penn State.

Penn State vs. UCLA Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Penn State Nittany Lions at UCLA Bruins
Where: Los Angeles at Pauley Pavilion
Date: Saturday, February 8th
Betting Odds UCLA -8.5, PENNST +290 | UCLA -375 O/U 142.5

Nittany Lions Preview: Taking a Look at the Nittany Lions Chances in Los Angeles

Penn State Nittany Lions Recent Game

Penn State’s season record dropped to 13-10 after a 69-61 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. The Nittany Lions were -7 favorites at home but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points ended at 130, falling short of the 140.5 O/U line.

Penn State led 25-21 at halftime but struggled defensively in the second half, allowing 48 points while scoring 36.

Nittany Lions Offense Breakdown

Penn State's offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 34.5% from the field and 30% from three-point range, finishing with 61 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 39.7%, and they hit 75% of their free throws, going 15-for-20 from the line.

Dawson Garcia led the team with 19 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 46.7% from the field. D'Marco Dunn added 18 points, hitting 54.5% of his shots and 50% from beyond the arc, while Brennan Rigsby was perfect from the field, going 5-for-5, including 2-for-2 from three-point range.

Nittany Lions Team Defense

Even with a strong defensive effort, Penn State couldn't keep their opponent from scoring 69 points, as they shot 34% from the field. The Nittany Lions held them to 36% shooting on two-point attempts, with 14 makes on 38 tries.

From beyond the arc, Penn State's defense limited their opponent to 6 three-pointers on 20 attempts, a 30% success rate. They also sent them to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 15 for 75%. Penn State allowed 14 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bruins Preview: Can UCLA Grab a Win at Home?

UCLA Bruins Recent Game/Games

UCLA improved to 17-6 on the season with a 63-61 win over Michigan State on Tuesday. The Bruins were -2.5 point favorites at home but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 124, falling short of the 140.5 O/U line.

UCLA led 35-28 at halftime but allowed 33 points in the 2nd half while scoring 28. Despite the close finish, the Bruins managed to hold on for the win.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

UCLA struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 35% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc, finishing with 63 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 40%, and they managed only 8 offensive rebounds.

Jaden Akins led the Bruins with 15 points, hitting 3 of 7 from three-point range. Skyy Clark added 14 points, despite shooting 2 of 8 from deep, and Tyler Bilodeau contributed 13 points and 4 rebounds.

Bruins Team Defense

UCLA's defense was strong in their last game, holding their opponent to just 61 points on 35% shooting from the field. They limited two-point attempts to 43% shooting, with the other team making 14 of 32 shots.

From beyond the arc, UCLA's defense was effective, as the opposing team shot only 25%, hitting 7 of 28 three-point attempts. UCLA also sent them to the line 19 times, where they made 14 free throws, shooting 73%. The Bruins gave up 8 offensive rebounds.

Nittany Lions vs Bruins Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, Penn State has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-4, while averaging 71 points per game.
Although UCLA has a straight up record of 2-1 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs. the spread going 1-1-1. The team averaged 71 points per game in these games.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Nittany Lions have a straight up record of 1-9. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-3-1.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Bruins have gone 4-5-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 7-3.