Published Feb 20, 10:45pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Feb 20, 10:45pm ET
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Updated Feb 20, 10:46pm ET
The Illinois Fighting Illini continue their Los Angeles trip when they visit the UCLA Bruins in a Big Ten Conference game. The matchup has important implications for both teams as they look to improve their March Madness odds in the coming weeks.
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| UCLA BRUINS | +225 |
| ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI | -278 |
Illinois heads into this game as -6.5 favorites against a struggling UCLA team at home. The Illini are 22–5 overall and 13–3 in the Big Ten, sitting right behind Michigan in the standings. They recently dropped two straight games but seem to have bounced back with wins against Indiana and USC.
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Illinois is banking on its offensive power, scoring 84.8 PPG and hitting 10+ threes in 19 games this season. Most of the offensive load falls on Keaton Wagler, who’s averaging 18.1 PPG with 4.3 APG, followed by David Mirkovic and Zvonimir Ivisic, two big men known for their rim protection and interior presence on the boards.
UCLA is 17–9 overall and 9–6 in the Big Ten Conference. The Bruins have recently been in the news and all over social media due to a peculiar incident. Their head coach appeared to pull one of his players from the game after a hard foul on an opponent. This adds pressure from the negative headlines and means they need to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible.
If UCLA’s defense gets the job done and they find a way to win this game, it could move them up in the late-season March Madness predictions. They’ll need all the help they can get from Tyler Bilodeau, Donovan Dent, and Xavier Booker.
The Fighting Illini are looking to finish their California road trip with a win over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. Illinois is favored at -6.5, with an over/under of 146.5. The moneyline sits at -278 for Illinois and +225 for UCLA.
We feel there is some disruption on the UCLA bench lately, which can translate into team chemistry issues. Our pick recommendation is Illinois on the moneyline at -278 to win the game.
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Pick
Illinois Fighting Illini (-278)
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