The Utah Utes will head on down to Westwood for a Sunday evening showdown at the UCLA Bruins. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will air on FS1. Utah absolutely dominated UCLA in their first matchup, winning 90-44 back on January 11.
Utah (15-10, 6-8 Pac-12) has dropped five of its last six contests and its struggles continued on Thursday in a 68-64 loss at USC. Despite shooting just 36.7% from the field, the Utes still found themselves down by two with just two minutes left in the contest. Unfortunately for them, they would not put another point on the scoreboard as the Trojans managed to survive. Deivon Smith has 19 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in the loss.
UCLA (14-11, 9-5 Pac-12) has rattled off six straight wins and after an abysmal start, suddenly finds itself in the Pac-12 title race. The Bruins’ latest victory came in a 64-60 triumph over Colorado on Thursday, a game they eked out despite the Buffaloes shooting 52.2% from the field. Sebastian Mack led the way with 19 points in the win.
UCLA shot just 31.5% from the field in the previous matchup between these two squads as not a single Bruins player scored in double digits in that blowout. The vibes have completely shifted on both sides since then and a huge reason behind UCLA’s resurgence is it boasting the top defense in Pac-12 play. However, the Bruins are still the conference’s worst shooting team and the Utes’ path to victory is matching good defense with good defense. We could be in for a rock fight at Pauley Pavilion.
What this game means for Utah
Utah has been in free fall for the better part of a month and has a lot of work to do to make its way back onto the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Utes have a pretty manageable schedule down the stretch and a road win against UCLA could be what the doctor ordered to get things turned around.
What this game means for UCLA
UCLA has somehow MacGyver’d its way back into the Pac-12 title picture and its previous five victories have come within single digits. The Utah loss was the low point of its season and it could a bit of redemption if it takes care of business this evening.
Utah vs. UCLA odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: UCLA -2.5
Total: 135
Moneyline: UCLA -148, Utah +124
