Utah State vs UCLA Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness
Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament continues Thursday night in Lexingon, KY when the Aggies of Utah State (26-7) take the court against the UCLA Bruins (22-10).
UCLA is coming off a one-and-done showing in the Big Ten tournament losing to Wisconsin in the quarterfinals. The Bruins are known for their strong defense and deep rotation, with Tyler Bilodeau capable of taking over in clutch moments. UCLA will look to control the tempo with their defensive prowess while efficiently executing on the offensive end to overpower the Aggies.
Utah State, meanwhile, lost to Colorado State in the MWC Tournament. Thursday, they will rely on sharp shooting (49.2% FG in last ten games) and a disciplined approach to stay competitive. If the Aggies can hit their outside shots and maintain composure under pressure, they'll have a chance to challenge UCLA, though the Bruins' overall depth and defense make them the betting favorites in this matchup.
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Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch Utah State vs. UCLA
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 9:25PM EST
Site: Rupp Arena
City: Lexington, KY
Network/Streaming: TNT
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for Utah State vs. UCLA
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of BetMGM :
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Odds: Utah State Aggies (+195), UCLA Bruins (-235)
Spread: Bruins -5.5
Total: 144.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for Utah State vs. UCLA
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's Aggies & Bruins game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on UCLA -5.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 144.5.
Utah State vs. UCLA: Top betting trends and recent stats
Utah State is 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games (15-15 for the season)
UCLA is 6-3-1 against the spread in their last 10 games (18-12-1 for the season)
UCLA's last 4 games have cashed to the OVER
If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
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