The IUPU-FT WAYNE and the UCLA will both be gunning for a victory on 11/6/2018 at 9:00 PM when they meet in a game matchup.
PURDUE FORT WAYNE vs UCLA
When: 9:00 PM ET, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
| ROT | TEAM | PS | OU | ML |
| 789 | IUPU-FT WAYNE | -13.5 (-110) | 162 (-110) | |
| 790 | UCLA |
TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -13.5
PREDICTION: UCLA , IUPU-FT WAYNE
Oddsmakers currently have the UCLA listed as -13.5 point favorites versus the IUPU-FT WAYNE, while the game’s total is sitting at 162.
After beginning last season with an international incident in China, No. 20 UCLA is hoping for a much smoother start for Tuesday’s opener against visiting Purdue Fort Wayne. Picked to finish second in the Pac-12 preseason poll, the Bruins received a boost when guards Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes withdrew their names from NBA draft consideration to return for their sophomore seasons.
Hands will take over as the Bruins’ starting point guard after ranking fourth on the team in scoring (9.9 points) and second in assists and steals last season. UCLA coach Steve Alford expected to have a deep rotation after signing a top-five recruiting class, but 6-foot-9 freshman Shareef O’Neal will sit out the season due to a heart defect and point guard Tyger Campbell is out for the year with a torn knee ligament. Fellow freshman Moses Brown gives the Bruins a strong inside presence and made a strong first impression with 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in a 125-73 exhibition win over New York Institute of Technology on Oct. 27. “There’s nothing weak about him,” coach Steve Alford told reporters. “You don’t see a lot of guys who are 7-2, who can move like that, and I think that’s what makes Mo special.”
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
ABOUT PURDUE FORT WAYNE (2017-18: 18-15): The Mastodons have averaged 20.6 wins over the last five seasons and boast a strong backcourt led by senior John Konchar, a preseason All-Summit League first team selection who averaged 14.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season. Konchar recorded 10 points and 13 rebounds with six assists in a 90-64 exhibition victory over DePauw on Oct. 30. The team is also looking for immediate contributions from transfers Matt Holba (Lehigh) and Marcus DeBerry, who led Northern Arizona in assists as a sophomore.
ABOUT UCLA (2017-18: 21-12): The Bruins return five of their eight rotation players from last season’s team, including junior guard Prince Ali, who scored a team-high 25 points in the exhibition victory over NYIT. Wilkes was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team last season after averaging 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 33 games (32 starts). With no seniors on the roster, Alford will lean on newcomers such as freshmen guards Jules Bernard and David Singleton, who averaged 23.8 points for Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, Calif., last season.
TIP-INS
1. UCLA went 14-2 at home last season and has won 30 of its 33 games in Pauley Pavilion over the past two seasons.
2. Purdue Fort Wayne was picked to finish fourth in the Summit League preseason poll.
3. UCLA freshman forward Cody Riley will miss at least the first three weeks of the season with a jaw injury.
PREDICTION: UCLA 86, Purdue Fort Wayne 67
| Tony’s Pick | TEAM |
| UCLA |
25% Bonus via Western Union
