Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs UCLA Bruins Matchup

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

UCLA vs Rutgers Prediction

Betting on today's Bruins and Scarlet Knights game? Catch the action at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, NJ, as the Scarlet Knights hosts this showdown at 6:30 ET on FS1. UCLA is favored by -2.5 in this Big Ten conference contest against Rutgers. The game's over/under currently sits at 139 points.

UCLA vs. Rutgers Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UCLA Bruins at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Where: Piscataway at Jersey Mike's Arena
Date: Monday, January 13th
Betting Odds UCLA -2.5, UCLA -148 | RUTGER +122 O/U 139

Bruins Preview: Can the UCLA Offense Score Enough on the Road?

UCLA Bruins Recent Game

UCLA fell to 11-5 on the season after a 79-61 road loss to Maryland on Friday. The Bruins entered the game as +5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 140, just over the 137.5 O/U line.

UCLA was competitive in the first half, trailing 40-36 at the break, but they struggled in the second half, scoring only 25 points while allowing 39.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

UCLA's offense managed just 61 points in their last game, shooting 41.5% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 47.2%, and they hit 78.6% of their free throws, going 11-for-14 from the line.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie led the way with 27 points, hitting 4-of-8 from three-point range. Tyler Bilodeau contributed 18 points, while Julian Reese added 16 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 87.5% from the floor.

Bruins Team Defense

UCLA's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 79 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 54% from the field. Inside the arc, they were particularly vulnerable, as the other team hit 64% of their two-point attempts, going 20/31.

From beyond the arc, UCLA allowed 7 threes on 19 attempts, a 36% shooting rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 18 of their attempts, shooting 85%. UCLA gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

Scarlet Knights Preview: Can Rutgers Lock in a Home Win?

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Recent Game/Games

Rutgers fell to 8-8 on the season after a 68-50 loss to Purdue on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights were +3 underdogs at home and didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 118, well below the O/U line of 147.5.

Rutgers trailed 33-24 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the 2nd half, scoring 26 points while allowing 35. The Scarlet Knights will need to regroup as they look to get back on track this season.

Scarlet Knights Offense Breakdown

Rutgers struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 50 points with a field goal percentage of 32.7% and an effective field goal percentage of 38.5%. They hit 7 of 23 from beyond the arc, shooting 30.4% from three-point range, while connecting on 34.5% of their two-point attempts.

At the free-throw line, Rutgers was efficient, hitting 9 of 11 for 81.8%. They grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and dished out 11 assists. Ace Bailey led the team with 17 points, shooting 33.3% overall and 44.4% from three, while Trey Kaufman-Renn added 16 points on 75% shooting in 20 minutes of action.

Scarlet Knights Team Defense

Despite giving up 68 points, Rutgers' defense held strong, limiting their opponent to just 32% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective inside, where they allowed only 10 made two-pointers on 29 attempts, a 34% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Rutgers gave up 7 threes on 23 attempts, with their opponent shooting 30%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 11 times, where they converted 9 for an 81% rate. Rutgers allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bruins vs Scarlet Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road games, UCLA has an ATS record of just 4-5-1. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 64 points per game.
Although Rutgers has a straight up record of 1-9 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-8-1. The team averaged 70 points per game in these games.
In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Scarlet Knights have a straight up record of 0-10 and an ATS mark of 2-8.
Over the team's last five games as the favorite, the Bruins struggled vs the spread going just 2-3. However, they still had a straight up mark of 3-2.