Two of the hottest teams in the Pac-12 take the floor Thursday night when the Arizona State Sun Devils (20-9, 11-7 Pac-12) visit the #4 UCLA Bruins (25-4, 16-2 Pac-12). The Sun Devils have won four of their last five while the Bruins are riding an eight-game winning streak.
The tip-off of the conference tilt is at 9 p.m. EST inside Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. UCLA is an 11.5-point favorite while the over/under total is 134.5 points.
What to Know – Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State closed out the month of February with a thrilling victory over in-state rival Arizona thanks to a last-second, 60-foot buzzer beater. After losing their final four games to close out January, the Sun Devils bounced back to compile a 5-2 mark last month, jumping back into NCAA Tournament conversations.
Offensively, the Sun Devils are fourth in the league in scoring averaging 71.2 points per game while hitting 42.2% of their shots from the field and 31.6% from beyond the arc. ASU’s defense is seventh in the conference, holding opponents to 66.2 ppg, 39.3% shooting from the floor and 33.7% from three.
The Sun Devils are 13-16 against the spread this season and sport a 5-6 mark ATS on the road. Over the last ten contests played in March, ASU is just 3-7 ATS.
What to Know – #4 UCLA Bruins
The Bruins have locked up the Pac-12 regular season championship and are gearing up for another March run. UCLA is vying for one of the top seeds come tournament time, and the Bruins are right in the mix heading into the conference tournament.
UCLA’s offense is second in the Pac-12 scoring 73.7 ppg thanks to 46.5% shooting from the floor and 35.4% from deep. The Bruins defense leads the conference limiting opposing teams to 59.7 ppg, 40.5% shooting from the field and 30.7% from the 3-point line.
UCLA is 15-12-2 ATS this year and 9-6 ATS inside Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins are 8-4 ATS over their previous 12 games played in the month of March.
The Pick is In
The last time these two teams hit the floor the Sun Devils built up a five-point halftime lead but collapsed in the second half, getting outscored 44-27 over the final 20 minutes at home. UCLA shot lights out in the contest, hitting 50% of their attempts from the floor.
UCLA has been one of the best teams at home over the last two seasons, having not dropped a home game since January of 2022. ASU on the other hand is fighting to keep their tournament hopes alive, and a road win against a top-5 team would all but lock the Sun Devils into the tournament.
We don’t expect the Sun Devils to come to Los Angeles and win, but expect a confident ASU squad to challenge the Bruins for 40 minutes and keep the game tight throughout.
The Pick: Arizona State Sun Devils +11.5
