UCLA vs. Northwestern Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Second Round

The No. 7 seed Northwestern Wildcats (22-11) are 7-point underdogs in their second round NCAA Tournament matchup against the No. 2 seed UCLA Bruins (30-5) on Saturday at 8:40 PM on TNT. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 in the West Region bracket. The matchup has a point total of 126.5.

UCLA vs. Northwestern Odds

• UCLA odds to win: -360
• Northwestern odds to win: +280
• Spread: UCLA (-7)
• Total: 126.5

UCLA vs. Northwestern Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Saturday, March 18, 2023
• Time: 8:40 PM ET
• TV: TNT
• Where: Sacramento, California
• Venue: Golden 1 Center

Who Will Win UCLA vs. Northwestern?

UCLA and Northwestern Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

UCLA has a 13-9-1 record against the spread this season when favored by 7 points or more.

In games it has played as at least a 7-point underdog this season, Northwestern is 2-0 against the spread.

These two teams average 142.2 points per game combined, 15.7 more than the over/under of 126.5.

UCLA and Northwestern have seen their opponents average a combined 3.8 fewer points per game than the over/under of 126.5 set for this game.

UCLA’s average point total in matchups this season is 134.3, 7.8 points higher than the total in this game.

The average point total for the Wildcats this season is four points higher than this game’s over/under.

The Bruins’ ATS record is 20-14-1 this season.

The Wildcats are 20-13-0 against the spread this season.

UCLA Stats & Insights

UCLA has a +496 scoring differential, topping opponents by 14.2 points per game. It is putting up 74.3 points per game to rank 117th in college basketball and is giving up 60.1 per contest to rank sixth in college basketball.

UCLA ranks 119th in college basketball at 32.6 rebounds per game. That’s 3.7 more than the 28.9 its opponents average.

The Bruins hit 6.1 three-pointers per game (311th in college basketball), while their opponents have made 6.5 on average.

UCLA ranks 69th in college basketball with 98.1 points scored per 100 possessions, and fourth in college basketball defensively with 79.4 points conceded per 100 possessions.

When playing at home, the Bruins are putting up eight more points per game (77.8) than they are in road games (69.8).

Northwestern Stats & Insights

Northwestern has a +174 scoring differential, topping opponents by 5.3 points per game. It is putting up 67.9 points per game, 274th in college basketball, and is giving up 62.6 per contest to rank 18th in college basketball.

Northwestern records 32.1 rebounds per game (157th in college basketball), compared to the 32 of its opponents.

Northwestern connects on 7.7 three-pointers per game (134th in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 7.5. It shoots 32.2% from deep, and its opponents shoot 33.6%.

Northwestern ranks 218th in college basketball averaging 92.2 points per 100 possessions on offense, and defensively is 31st, allowing 85 points per 100 possessions.

The Wildcats average 68.2 points per game at home, and 69.5 away.

UCLA Key Players to Watch

Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads the Bruins in scoring and rebounding, accumulating 17.3 points and 8.1 boards per game.

Tyger Campbell leads UCLA in assists, averaging 4.8 per game while also scoring 13.4 points per contest.

David Singleton leads the Bruins in three-point shooting, knocking down an average of two shots per game from beyond the arc.

The UCLA steals leader is Jaylen Clark, who averages 2.6 takeaways per game, while its blocks leader is Adem Bona, who compiles 1.7 rejections per contest.

Northwestern Key Players to Watch

Boo Buie collects 17.3 points and tacks on 4.5 assists per game, putting him at the top of the Wildcats’ leaderboards for those statistics.

Matthew Nicholson grabs 5.3 rebounds per game (he also scores 6 points per game and adds 1.2 assists per game) which puts him at the top of the Northwestern rebounding leaderboard.

Chase Audige is the top scorer from deep for the Wildcats, hitting two threes per game.

Audige (2.4 steals per game) is the steal leader for Northwestern while Nicholson (1.2 blocks per game) is the block leader.

UCLA vs. Northwestern Prediction

• Pick ATS:

  UCLA (-7)
  

• Pick OU:

  Over (126.5)
  

• Prediction:
  UCLA 71, Northwestern 61

How to Bet on UCLA vs. Northwestern

And for more CBB game previews, NCAA basketball picks or even how to bet on college basketball check out the latest NCAAB lines on Betsperts.