The No. 7 UCLA Bruins (14-2, 5-0 Pac-12) and their powerful offense play host to the Utah Runnin’ Utes (12-5, 5-1 Pac-12) and their suffocating defense on Thursday.
Utah dropped their last game against the Oregon Ducks 70-60 at Jon M. Huntsman Center on Saturday. Marco Anthony was the key player in the loss with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Runnin’ Utes remain second in the Pac-12 Conference. UCLA won their 11th in a row in a close one on Thursday at Pauley Pavilion, beating the USC Trojans 60-58. Jaylen Clark had 15 points to lead the team. The Bruins are first in the Pac-12 Conference.
The teams are meeting for the only time this season. UCLA took the only game between the teams last season 63-58 at Jon M. Huntsman Center in January 2022, their fifth straight head-to-head victory. Johnny Juzang led the Bruins with 28 points. Lazar Stefanovic had 18 points in the loss.
The Runnin’ Utes have been led this season by Branden Carlson, who is averaging 15.7 points per game. Carlson also has grabbed 7.4 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Rollie Worster is dishing 5.1 assists.Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s 16.9 points per game have powered the Bruins on offense. Jaquez Jr. also has collected 6.4 rebounds per game. Tyger Campbell has recorded 4.4 assists per game.
The Runnin’ Utes are the NCAA’s 18th-best team in defensive efficiency, while the Bruins rank 25th in offensive efficiency. In the last 10 games, Utah is 7-3 with an average margin of +9.5 (74.3-64.8). For the season, the Runnin’ Utes are averaging 73.0 points per game, compared to 61.5 for opponents.
UCLA has won each of the last 10 as part of the team’s 11-game win streak, scoring 74.5 points per game on average while allowing 58.6 (+15.9 margin).
RUNNIN’ UTES HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Marco Anthony: 22.6 | 17.2 | +5.4
Points per game:
Marco Anthony: 12.6 | 9.5 | +3.1
Rollie Worster: 4.6 | 8.3 | -3.7
Rebounds per game:
Marco Anthony: 8.0 | 5.9 | +2.1
BRUINS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Amari Bailey: 2.6 | 12.3 | -9.6
Points per game:
Amari Bailey: 2.0 | 7.7 | -5.7
Rebounds per game:
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 8.4 | 6.4 | +2.0
SportsTips’ College Basketball Pick:
UCLA -12.5 (-105)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
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