Michigan vs UCLA prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
01/07/2025 10:05 AM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Michigan-UCLA prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Michigan-UCLA.
Michigan visited UCLA in women’s college basketball last week. Now the men make the trip to Westwood for another new-look Big Ten basketball game in this era of conference realignment.
Michigan is a frustrating team to watch. The Wolverines have obvious talent. More than that, they have some very specific qualities as a team which should make them very hard to play against. New coach Dusty May brought big man Vlad Goldin with him from Florida Atlantic, where the two helped the Owls make their improbable run to the Final Four in 2023. Goldin and teammate Danny Wolf give Michigan two skilled bigs who can play together and create matchup nightmares for opponents. Wolf can put the ball on the deck and create with the dribble. He is big, but agile. These are not beefy, slow centers who can’t get up and down the floor. They are very athletic and can be quite disruptive on defense with their length and wingspan. Few other teams in the country have a two-big setup the way Michigan does with Goldin and Wolf. At times, Michigan has looked really good this season.
However, for all of the good things Michigan does, this team is prone to lapses in concentration with lead to lightning-quick runs from opponents that undo the good work the Wolverines put in. Michigan had a 13-point lead over USC this past Saturday night and lost every point of that lead before rallying to win late. Michigan had an 11-point lead over Oklahoma midway through the second half of a December game and wound up losing on a 4-point play in the final 15 seconds. Michigan simply has to be able to avoid giving up a big second-half run. The Wolverines could be a dangerous team, but they are often a danger to themselves as well.
UCLA is coming off an annoying loss at Nebraska in which the Bruins held the Huskers to 33-percent shooting from the field but allowed 25 made free throws. UCLA is having a problem defending without fouling. That got the Bruins in trouble in their second-half collapse against North Carolina in New York a few weeks ago. UCLA blew a 16-point lead because it allowed UNC to get to the free throw line with regularity. Coach Mick Cronin has to figure out how to get his team to commit fewer fouls, especially when UCLA is over the foul limit.
Here are the Michigan-UCLA College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Michigan-UCLA Odds
Michigan: +2.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +122
UCLA: -2.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -146
Over: 143.5 (-105)
Under: 143.5 (-115)
How to Watch Michigan vs UCLA
Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
TV: Peacock
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Michigan Will Cover The Spread/Win
Michigan has more talent than UCLA. That’s it. That’s the tweet. The Goldin-Wolf combination gives the Wolverines a matchup advantage in this game. As long as the Michigan guards can play the UCLA guards dead even, the frontcourt should tip this game to the Maize and Blue.
Why UCLA Will Cover The Spread/Win
UCLA will be mad after the Nebraska loss. The Bruins were an impossibly bad 4 of 28 on 3-pointers in that game. Surely, UCLA will not shoot that poorly here, If UCLA hits 33 percent of 3-pointers instead of 14 percent, that should translate to a lot of added points for the Bruins.
Final Michigan-UCLA Prediction & Pick
Michigan is the better team, but Michigan is also an unreliable team. Wait for a live play here.
Final Michigan-UCLA Prediction & Pick: Michigan moneyline
The post Michigan vs UCLA prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
