UCLA at Illinois odds, picks and predictions
Skip Snow
USA TODAY Sports
The UCLA Bruins (18-6, 9-4 Big Ten) visit the Illinois Fighting Illini (16-8, 8-6) in a Tuesday tussle in Champaign. The opening tip at the State Farm Center will be at 8 p.m. ET (Peacock). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's college basketball odds around the UCLA vs. Illinoisodds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
UCLA endured a rough stretch before and after the New Year, but the Bruins have rebounded with 7 straight wins since Jan. 17. Rate stats indicate that UCLA forces more turnovers than any team in the nation, and the Bruins forced 17 in their last game, a 78-54 triumph covering a 10.5-point spread vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday. UCLA heads into Tuesday's game with a 3-0-1 mark against the spread (ATS) over its last 4 games.
Illinois also covered the number in a Saturday game. The favored-by-7 Illini routed the Minnesota Golden Gophers 95-74 to snap a 3-game road losing streak. A well-rounded up-tempo team, Illinois had shot just 41.1% in going 3-5 over its previous 8 games. But UI shot a season-high 63.2% against the Gophers.
- Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays:Get ESPN+
Expert Super Bowl picks: Unique betting insights only at USA TODAY.
UCLA at Illinois odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:02 a.m. ET.
Moneyline: UCLA +195 (bet $100 to win $195) | Illinois -235 (bet $235 to win $100)
UCLA +195 (bet $100 to win $195) | Illinois -235 (bet $235 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS): UCLA +5.5 (-105) | Illinois -5.5 (-115)
UCLA +5.5 (-105) | Illinois -5.5 (-115) Over/Under (O/U): 149.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
UCLA at Illinois picks and predictions
Prediction
Illinois 80, UCLA 73
No interest. PASS.
UCLA has gone 1-4 ATS across its last 5 road games.
The Bruins have a tremendous defense, but look for Illinois' speed and 3s to be a problem for the visiting team in this one. UCLA's troubles began during a spate of contests against the Big Ten's fastest teams. KenPom pegs the Illini's adjusted tempo as 13th in the nation, fastest in the circuit.
And Illinois is a high-frequency 3-point squad. The Illini went 9 of 16 from distance in their last game. Across their 10 previous games, they have shot just 24.7%; across 7 games before that they shot 36.8%. Look for Illinois to make some gains on a shaky season number of 31.3%.
The Illinois defense excels in forcing suboptimum looks from the field. The Illini are the better rebounding team in this matcup, and they figure to win the battle in pursuing the most looks at the free-throw line.
ILLINOIS -5.5 (-115) is the leverage side here.
Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now!
This is a pace clash with ultra-slow UCLA (KenPom No. 304 in tempo) visiting ultra-fast Illinois. And in past performances of like games for both sides, the Over has been prevailing at a hefty clip and with impressive margins.
Look for a lot of rim-and-3 action in a game that pushes UCLA late. And the Bruins excel in the turnover-fed transition game. BACK THE OVER 149.5 (-110).
Want to play some games of your own? Play for free at the best social casinos and enjoy lots of slots, blackjack, video poker, roulette and more. You can even earn real prizes!
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X andlike us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / Recruiting / Transfer portal / College Football Playoffs / College Sports Wire / High School
More NCAA College Basketball Picks and Predictions!
Arizona at Kansas State odds, picks and predictions
Florida at Mississippi State odds, picks and predictions
Baylor at Houston odds, picks and predictions
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
14 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
How the Rams make sure rookies bond to start pro careers
Josaiah Stewart quickly studied the assignment, focused intensely, and went to work. The Rams linebacker delicately gripped a paintbrush, dipped it into a cup of green paint, and began filling the outline of a bird traced onto a wall of an Altadena school rebounding from the Eaton fire. A few feet away, Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson and defensive lineman Ty Hamilton maneuvered their huge frames to add their own artistic touches to the hallway mural. It was the latest rookie bonding experience for the 2025 draft class, a six-player group that includes several expected to play prominent roles for a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender. 'We've got a great group,' said Ferguson, a second-round pick. 'All the guys have bought into a lot of rookie bonding stuff by the team. 'It's cool that they really lean into building that relationship. … We're all going through this for the first time, transitioning to the NFL, so it's been a lot of fun.' Ferguson is regarded as the heir apparent to veteran Tyler Higbee, who is in the final year of his contract. Yet the dynamic Ferguson, a former Oregon star, won't have to wait until 2026: He appears on track to have a large role in coach Sean McVay's offense. Stewart, a third-round pick from Michigan, adds another dimension to an edge-rushing group that features NFL defensive rookie of the year Jared Verse and Byron Young. Running back Jarquez Hunter, a fourth-round pick from Auburn, is competing to back up Kyren Williams, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. Hamilton, from Ohio State, adds depth to a defensive line led by Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, while fellow fifth-round pick Pooh Paul from Mississippi does the same for an inside linebacker corps that features Omar Speights and Nathan Landman. Receiver Konata Mumpfield, a seventh-round pick from Pittsburgh, is learning from Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington. Several rookies said veteran players have welcomed and embraced them, helping them absorb the playbook and all that is expected of them on the field. Assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasant has helped oversee the rookies' collective transition to becoming pros, McVay said. 'We've really tried to lean into the types of people where there's different personalities, but there's still our core values or experiences that these guys have gone through that have tested their mental fortitude, their resilience,' McVay said, adding, 'The most important thing is as a team, how do we come together? How do we really lean on one another? But when you are going through a similar experience, it's been fun to be able to watch those guys mature and be able to grow together.' The rookies have bonded on the field during organized team activities, and off the field on excursions for meals, movies and places such as an escape room. The community events play a large role, Paul said. 'This is something I personally enjoy doing with the rookies simply because it really just shows, like, what we stand for outside the shoulder pads,' Paul said during a break from painting in Altadena. 'We've been doing a great job with that, bonding with each other, getting to know each other's backgrounds, where we come from, our collegiate careers and what helped us get to where we are today.' Organized team activities conclude this week, but the rookies will be together again next week when the Rams travel to Maui for a minicamp. On Tuesday, the six draft picks and other first-year players that signed as undrafted free agents will join Habitat for Humanity to rebuild homes in Lahaina that were damaged in 2023 wildfires. It will be another opportunity to work side-by-side, as they did in Altadena. 'It's a tight group,' Stewart said after finishing his painting in Altadena. 'We all bond, and events like these really bring us together.'
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Christian McCaffrey says he feels 'great' after 49ers minicamp on heels of injury-plagued season
Christian McCaffrey's health will be one of the biggest 49ers storylines heading into the new NFL season. When healthy, McCaffrey's one of the most dynamic weapons in football, an offensive talent who can make the difference for a good team in contending or not contending for a Super Bowl. But that's a significant contingency. Advertisement Injuries have limited McCaffrey to seven or fewer games in four of his 10 NFL seasons. One of those seasons was 2024, when a calf/Achilles injury sustained in training camp lingered throughout the season. That and a PCL injury suffered in Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills limited McCaffrey to four games. The 49ers wrapped two days of minicamp on Wednesday on the heels of multiple OTA sessions since May. McCaffrey's been a participant throughout. And he's optimistic about his health heading into the 2025 season. McCaffrey was asked on Wednesday if he feels any pain or has any lingering concern from the Achilles injury that limited him so much in 2024. "No, I feel great," McCaffrey said. "This offseason, I spent a lot of time kind of building back a base starting from scratch. A lot of it was rehab. I wanted to put myself in a position where I didn't miss a day of OTAs and I could practice and play football again and be healthy and not miss a day. Advertisement "I did that. And now we can kind of kick back up to training again. But, I feel great." That's great news for the 49ers and their fans. The last time McCaffrey played a relatively healthy season was in 2023. In 16 games, he led the league in rushing (1,459 yards), yards from scrimmage (2,023) and total touchdowns (21) en route to his third All-Pro selection and Offensive Player of the Year Honors. The 49ers finished 12-5, won the NFC West and advanced to the Super Bowl. With McCaffrey limited to four games last season, the 49ers fell to last place in the NFC West and missed the playoffs at 6-11. McCaffrey's absence, of course, wasn't the only issue ailing the 49ers, who fell short of expectations across the board, most notably with a defense that allowed 25.6 points per game. But it didn't help. The 49ers are hoping to bounce back from last season's unexpected slide and back into the Super Bowl picture. Having a healthy McCaffrey who can still produce at 29 years old will be key to those hopes.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Report: Cincinnati Bengals set to release linebacker Germaine Pratt
The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to release veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Pratt, 29, played six seasons for the Bengals. A third-round draft pick in 2019, Pratt played a significant role in the Bengals' defense during Cincinnati's Super Bowl run in 2021 and return to the AFC Championship game the following season. Advertisement In 96 games, Pratt recorded 616 tackles, seven forced fumbles, seven interceptions and five fumble recoveries. The Bengals this year used their second- and fourth-round draft picks to select linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. of South Carolina and Barrett Carter of Clemson. Cincinnati also signed former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks in free agency. The Enquirer will update this story. Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt (57) pressures Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) as he throws in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 13 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The Steelers won 44-38. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Report: Bengals expected to release linebacker Germaine Pratt
