The 2021-22 college basketball season continues Thursday, February 17, so we are taking a closer look at the Pac-12 Conference battle at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, to get you the best Washington State vs. UCLA betting pick and odds.  

The Cougars and Bruins lock horns for the first time this season. UCLA is a firm 8.5-point fave on MyBookie Sportsbook, searching for its 11th consecutive home victory over Washington State.

Washington State hopes to stop its three-game slide     

The Washington State Cougars (14-10; 7-6 Conf.) are coming off a tough 62-59 defeat at the Oregon Ducks this past Monday. They managed to cover a 5-point spread on the road but failed to stop their two-game slide.

The Cougars had an awful shooting night in Eugene, making just 30.1% of their field goals and 24.2% of their 3-pointers. Senior guard Michael Flowers led the way with 23 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while junior guard Noah Williams added 13 points, four rebounds, and a couple of steals in 32 minutes off the bench.

Washington State is now sitting at the sixth spot of the Pac-12 Conference standings. The Cougars are No. 46 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 44 in the KenPom rankings. They score 106.3 points per 100 possessions (106th in the nation) and yield 91.9 in a return (21st).

UCLA dropped three of its last four games     

The UCLA Bruins (17-5; 9-4 Conf.) have gone only 1-3 straight up and ATS over their last four outings. After a couple of losses at Arizona 76-66 and Arizona State 87-84 in triple overtime and a 79-70 victory at Stanford, the Bruins suffered a 67-64 defeat at the USC Trojans this past Saturday.

UCLA struggled to deal with USC’s defense, making only 30.2% of its field goals and 33.3% of its 3-pointers. Junior guard Tyger Campbell led the way for the Bruins, accounting for 27 points and three assists, while another junior G Johnny Juzang added 12 points and five rebounds. Jaime Jaquez, who’s another junior guard in this UCLA team, made only two of his 11 field-goal attempts and finished with five points and four rebounds.

The Bruins are now sitting at the fourth spot of the Pac-12 standings. They are No. 13 in the AP Top 25 Poll, No. 14 in the NCAA NET Rankings, and No. 12 in the KenPom rankings. The Bruins score 114.8 points per 100 possessions (18th in the nation) and surrender 90.8 in a return (16th).

Trends:

Washington State:

  • 2-4 ATS in the last six outings as underdogs 

UCLA:

  • 3-1-1 ATS in the last five games at home
  • 5-2 ATS in the last seven outings as favorites of 8.5 or fewer points

Washington State vs. UCLA Pick

I have to look at UCLA in this spot. The Bruins, who are considered as one of the best teams in the nation, have won only one of their last four contests. On the other side, the Cougars are winless in three straight outings, so I’m backing the Bruins to pile on Washington State’s misery.

UCLA is arguably a better team than Washington State. The Bruins must be fired up to finally get things going and get their fans something to cheer for. UCLA has a huge height advantage in this matchup, while the Bruins’ great depth could be another X factor.

Pick: Take UCLA -8.5 at -110                  

The Total:

The under is 13-2 in Washington State’s last 15 games overall. The Cougars love to take things slowly, averaging 65.9 possessions per 40 minutes (253rd in the nation). They lean on a stout defense that ranks 40th in the nation in field goal percentage (40.3%) and 57th in 3-point percentage (30.7%).

On the other side, the Bruins register 66.3 possessions per 40 minutes (238th). Three of their last five games have gone under the total. I lean the under, but it’s a tough wager, as UCLA is a very dangerous offensive team. Hopefully, the Cougars will bring their best defense.

Pick: Go under 130.0 points at -110