UCLA vs MICHIGAN
When: 3/30/2021 9:57 PM
Where: Lucan Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

TV: 9:57 PM
LINE: -300
PREDICTION: UCLA, Michigan

Oddsmakers currently have Michigan listed as 7 point favorites versus UCLA while the game’s total is sitting at 136.

Underdog UCLA sets sights on Michigan for another upset win

UCLA was expected to have a short stay in the NCAA Tournament, but the Bruins stand just one win away from reaching the Final Four.

The 11th-seeded Bruins aim to win their fifth straight tourney game when they attempt to upset top-seeded Michigan in Tuesday night’s East Regional final at Indianapolis.

The Bruins (21-9) are attempting to join Virginia Commonwealth in 2011 as the only schools to go from being relegated to the NCAA Tournament’s First Four to crashing the Final Four. They earned their date with the Wolverines by posting an exhilarating 88-78 overtime win over second-seeded Alabama on Sunday.

“There’s many times we could have packed it in, but I told them they’ve put up with me for two years trying to pound into them toughness and competitive spirit,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “They allowed me to do it, and you’re seeing the results right now.”

The Bruins were mired in a four-game losing streak before starting their tournament run by defeating Michigan State in overtime in the First Four. They have followed up with double-digit victories over BYU, Abilene Christian and the Crimson Tide.

UCLA has its eyes on reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2008 when it made the last of three straight such appearances under former coach Ben Howland.

The Bruins will again be in the position of needing to score an upset when they play Michigan (23-4), which is playing in the Elite Eight for the fourth time in its last seven NCAA Tournament appearances.

UCLA sophomore swingman Jaime Jaquez Jr. said to go ahead and slap the underdog label on his team because he says the highly confident club won’t wilt under the pressure.

“I don’t want to say invincibility. Everyone is beatable,” Jaquez said. “Everyone has good nights and bad nights. We’re definitely a confident team. We definitely believe in ourselves, even when no one else was or did. So we just believe in each other every single day and knew, if we got this opportunity, we’re going to take full advantage.”

Michigan certainly is operating on all cylinders after trampling fourth-seeded Florida State 76-58 on Sunday.

The Wolverines began their push with wins over Texas Southern and LSU but ramped up their effort against the Seminoles, and the whipping included a 50-28 edge in points in the paint.

“We knew coming in that they were going to switch a lot of ball screens and basically everything,” sophomore guard Franz Wagner said. “So we tried to move the ball. I think a lot of times people get in trouble just holding the ball and dribbling the whole time. So I think we moved the ball pretty well and then attacked close-outs.”

The stellar performance gave Juwan Howard an Elite Eight berth in his second season as Michigan coach.

“As a player, I’ve been to three Elite Eights,” said Howard, referring to the school’s Fab Five era in the early 1990s. “So Michigan has had a lot of success in the basketball program. It’s just beautiful to see that all the hard work is paying off this year.”

The Wolverines are experiencing their March Madness success without standout senior forward Isaiah Livers (foot). Howard said he remains out indefinitely.

This marks the fifth time the schools have met in the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins won three of the previous four meetings, including a 91-80 win in the 1965 national championship game when Gail Goodrich poured in 42 points.

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PURDUE FORT WAYNE vs UCLA
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California

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

The post IUPU-FT WAYNE vs. UCLA 11/6/2018 Free Pick & CBB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

UCLA vs OKLAHOMA
When: 9/8/2018 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA , UCLA

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA listed as point favorites versus the UCLA, while the game’s total is sitting at .

The post UCLA vs. OKLAHOMA 9/8/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

CINCINNATI vs UCLA
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 1, 2018
Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: -17
PREDICTION: UCLA , CINCINNATI

Oddsmakers currently have the UCLA listed as -17 point favorites versus the CINCINNATI, while the game’s total is sitting at 62.

Chip Kelly will make his debut as coach at UCLA when the Bruins host Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl. Kelly led Oregon to three Pac-12 titles from 2009-12, and then spent four seasons in the NFL (2013-16) as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

Kelly has yet to coach at game at UCLA and he’s already dealing with serious internal distractions. UCLA announced Monday that running back Soso Jamabo, tight end Devin Asiasi, defensive back Mo Osling, center Boss Tagaloa, and defensive linemen Osa Odighizuwa and Moses Robinson-Carr have been suspended for the season opener for violating unspecified athletic department policies. Jamabo was the team’s second-leading rusher last season (446 yards, six touchdowns), Tagaloa was in the hunt for the starting center spot and Odighizuwa was expected to play a key role on the defensive front. Cincinnati is looking for a fast start coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1998-99, and the Bearcats have their leading passer, rusher and receiver back this season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: UCLA -15

ABOUT CINCINNATI (2017: 4-8): Hayden Moore has been the primary starter at quarterback the past two seasons, and he played eight games for the Bearcats as a freshman in 2015, giving him considerable experience at the position. He didn’t improve at the rate many expected last season, however, and could face early challenges from the four other Cincinnati quarterbacks, most notably redshirt freshman Desmond Ridder. Gerrid Doaks missed the final three games with an ankle injury last season, but still led the Bearcats in rushing as a freshman with 513 yards on 87 carries, and look for the offense to lean on senior wide receiver Kahlil Lewis, who caught a team-high 61 passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

ABOUT UCLA (2017: 6-7): The quarterback position was still murky at UCLA to start the week, and it may take Kelly right up until game day to make a decision on a starter. Wilton Speight started 11 games for Michigan in 2016 and the first four for the Wolverines last season before a fractured vertebrae ended his year. He has moved on to UCLA as a graduate transfer this season and is competing against freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson and redshirt sophomore Devon Modster for the starting nod.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Kelly’s regular-season record as a college head coach is 44-5 and his NFL mark is 28-35.

2. UCLA junior tight end Caleb Wilson caught a school-record 15 passes for 208 yards in last year’s season-opening win against Texas A&M.

3. Cincinnati is the only American Athletic Conference team to return its leading passer, rusher and receiver this season.

PREDICTION: UCLA 37, Cincinnati 21

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