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Oregon State vs. UCLA Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Pac-12 Tournament First Round (Back the Beavers)

College basketball betting preview, prediction and best bet for Oregon State-UCLA. 

By Shelby Dermer

February 22, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Oregon State Beavers guard Jordan Pope (0) shoots the ball against California.
February 22, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Oregon State Beavers guard Jordan Pope (0) shoots the ball against California. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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UCLA’s hot-and-cold regular season ended on a freezing note. The Bruins had an 8-1 stretch that included a six-game winning streak, then dropped five in a row before Saturday’s victory over Arizona State in Saturday’s regular-season finale. Can the No. 5 Bruins pull away as a modest favorite in Wednesday’s Pac-12 opener? 

Oregon State has been a feisty underdog of late and the No. 12 Beavers are in that role again in Las Vegas. Can Oregon State hang in a projected low-scoring first-round tilt? Here’s the betting breakdown of the matchup with a best bet. 

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Oregon State vs. UCLA Odds, Spread and Total

Oregon State vs. UCLA Betting Trends

  • Oregon State is 16-13-1 ATS this season
  • UCLA is 13-16-2 ATS this season
  • Oregon State is 13-9-1 ATS as an underdog this season
  • UCLA is 3-10-2 ATS as a favorite this season 
  • The OVER is 20-10 in Oregon State games this season
  • The OVER is 13-18 in UCLA games this season

Oregon State vs. UCLA How to Watch

  • Date: Wednesday, March 13
  • Game time: 5:30 p.m. EST
  • Venue: T-Mobile Arena
  • How to watch (TV): Pac 12 Network
  • Oregon State record: 13-18
  • UCLA record: 15-16

Oregon State vs. UCLA Key Players to Watch

Oregon State

Jordan Pope: When Pope, Oregon State’s leading scorer (17.6 points per game), is on, Oregon State has been able to hang with opponents. Pope had scored 20-plus points in four consecutive games before being held to just 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting in a lopsided loss to Colorado on March 9. 

UCLA 

Adem Bona: UCLA’s had a different 20-point scorer in each of the last three games and Bona is still the leading scorer (12.4 points) and rebounder (6) for the Bruins while ranking second in the Pac 12 in blocks. Bona shoots 58.5% from the field and is coming off a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in UCLA’s 59-47 win over Arizona State. 

Oregon State vs. UCLA Prediction and Pick 

The total is very low in this game kudos to UCLA’s defense, which ranks No. 44 in efficiency, according to KenPom. However, the Bruins recently allowed 78.2 points over its five-game losing streak. Oregon State’s offense doesn’t necessarily induce a ton of fear to opponents. The Beavers are below average in most major metrics but do get to the free-throw line at one of the highest rates in the Pac 12. 

The Beavers score 21.4% of their points from the charity stripe, the 59th-highest rate in the nation. UCLA struggles with fouls, committing the second-most in the Pac-12 this season. UCLA’s offense has still been an eyesore this season as one of the worst shooting teams in the country. The Bruins are No. 333 in effective field goal percentage. Oregon State can be beaten down low, but UCLA is No. 346 in two-point shooting. How about from the outside? UCLA is better with triples, but that’s one of the lone strengths of the Beavers' defense. 

From an ATS standpoint, it’s a great spot for Oregon State, which has covered five of its last six games as an underdog and nine of 13. UCLA is just 3-10-2 ATS as a favorite. Take the points with Oregon State. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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