UCLA at Arizona Pick and Preview
Bruins (19-4) at Wildcats (16-8) – Saturday, Feb. 14 - 1 p.m. Eastern - CBS Typically, a UCLA-Arizona game is one of the top regular-season contests in the Pac-10 Conference. This season, however, UCLA could be forgiven if it treats its meeting with the Wildcats as an afterthought, considering the Bruins defeated Arizona by 23 points earlier this season.
However, if the Bruins are overlooking this UCLA-Arizona matchup, that might represent exactly the break Arizona needs to receive to continue its recent good fortunes.
The UCLA Bruins and Arizona Wildcats will play in Tucson, Ariz., at 1 p.m. Eastern Saturday. CBS will televise the game nationally.
Both teams will play conference games Thursday as well. No. 6 UCLA visits No. 18 Arizona State Thursday night on ESPN, while Arizona will host USC the same evening.
Season Results:The Bruins probably aren't too eager to leave Pauley Pavilion, where they've been on a roll. Since losing 86-75 at Washington to end its last road trip, UCLA has rattled off four wins by an average 22.8 points per game at home.
It's been less than a month since UCLA faced both Arizona schools. In the first UCLA-Arizona meeting this season, the Bruins never trailed, winning 83-60 on Jan. 15. UCLA jumped to a 5-0 advantage, led by 14 points at halftime, and pulled away in the second half. UCLA shot nearly 60% from the field in the game.
However, Arizona State upset the Bruins two days later in Pauley Pavilion, 61-58, so it might be understandable if UCLA naturally places more emphasis on its Thursday game at Arizona State. UCLA is in first place in the Pac-10 with an 8-2 record, one-half game ahead of Arizona State. Arizona is in sixth place in the league at 6-5.
Overlooking a red-hot Arizona team would be a mistake, though. After losing to UCLA, Arizona lost its next two games, falling to 2-5 in Pac-10 play. However, the Wildcats have pulled off five straight wins heading into Thursday's game with USC, four of which have occurred in conference play.
Arizona has been up and down all season, pulling off early season wins against Gonzaga and Kansas, but suffering double-digit losses to UNLV, Cal, and Stanford before mid-January.
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Point Spread Records:Both UCLA and Arizona have performed well ATS in recent games. Heading into Thursday's game at Arizona State, UCLA has won four straight games ATS, while Arizona has won four of its last five ATS, heading into Thursday's game with USC. In Pac-10 games this season, the Bruins are 6-4 ATS, while Arizona is 6-5 ATS.
This season, Arizona is 4-5 ATS as an underdog. As a home favorite, Arizona has covered the number in seven of its last eight games. In Pac-10 games only, Arizona is 3-0 ATS as a home favorite and 1-1 ATS as a home underdog.
UCLA has been an underdog in league play only once this season, losing at Washington as a 2-point underdog. As a road favorite this season, UCLA is 2-2 ATS and 4-0 outright.
In the first UCLA-Arizona meeting, the Bruins were favored by 11.5 points, easily covering the number.
Arizona covered the number last season at home against the Bruins, but the Wildcats have lost eight straight games outright to UCLA, including the last three in Tucson. The underdog has covered the number in the last four UCLA-Arizona games in Tucson.
--2008: UCLA (-5.5) 68, Arizona 66
--2007: UCLA 81, Arizona (-1) 66
--2006: UCLA 85, Arizona (-10.5) 79
--2005: Arizona (-11) 76, UCLA 73
--2004: Arizona (-17) 107, UCLA 83
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