One of the most storied rivalries in college basketball between Arizona and UCLA adds another chapter on Friday night. UCLA has a 64-50 series lead over Arizona and won the previous matchup last season 57-54. Both teams have started their season 3-0, with the Wildcats ranked No. 5 and the Bruins ranked No. 15 in the latest AP Poll.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Arizona is a -2.5-point favorite while UCLA is +124 to win this game outright. Here is my best bet for tonight’s matchup between Arizona vs. UCLA.
Arizona vs. UCLA (10:00 p.m. ET)
Although UCLA holds the lead in the all-time series, the Wildcats have dominated this matchup lately, winning six of the previous eight meetings. Tommy Lloyd reloaded in the offseason and has put together an elite roster led by Jaden Bradley and star freshman Koa Peat. The Wildcat beat the reigning National Champions, the Florida Gators, on opening night and has followed it up with back-to-back victories by at least 26 points against Utah Tech and NAU.
Elite guard Donovan Dent leads Mick Cronin’s Bruins this season alongside returning players Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, Trent Perrty, and Eric Daily Jr. UCLA has five players this season who average double-digit points. But Arizona averages 11 more points per contest as it possesses the better offense in this matchup.
Dent, who missed UCLA’s last game against West Georgia, is returning to the Bruins’ lineup tonight. Even though UCLA has a talented roster, Arizona arguably has the two best players in this contest with Peat and Bradley. After finding a ton of success against Florida’s elite frontcourt, Peat, Motiejus Krivas, and Tobe Awaka should be able to get the best of Bilodeau and Xavier Booker. Arizona enters this game more prepared than UCLA, having already played an elite team this season.
