Posted on 2/29/2008 7:15:05 PM

NCAAB Sunday Betting - UCLA Bruins vs. Arizona Wildcats

By D.S. Williamson

UCLA Bruins (predict: - 6.5) vs. Arizona Wildcats (predict: + 6.5)

Tip-off: 03/02/2008 4:00 pm EST.

UCLA dominated Arizona State last Thursday night beating the Sun Devils by 21 points - - 70 to 49. The Bruins were on the road for that game and will be on the road for this game. The BetUS spread in that game was UCLA – 6.5. I don’t see a reason why this Sunday game will have a different BetUS point spread. To many college basketball observers their isn’t much difference between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats.

In fact it is ASU who appears to be the better team this year as the Wildcats are 17 and 11 on the season straight-up and have lost to the Sun Devils twice. Arizona lost by 22 points to the UCLA Bruins the last time these two teams met. That was in Los Angeles. The change of venue might not mean all that much for the Wildcats as Kevin Love dominated them in that game and figures to do the same on Sunday.

The bottom-line is that going from Lute Olsen to Kevin O’Neil has had an effect on this Arizona Wildcats’ team. O’Neil is a very good coach but it is going to take time for his defensive schemes to sink into the players’ heads. Without really understanding where they need to be at all times on the court, the Wildcats have looked like a bunch of undisciplined, tired eighth-grade players during stretches this year. My feeling is that they are in the middle of one of those stretches.

They were beaten by what many BetUS college basketball bettors felt was an even more undisciplined team in the USC Trojans just this past Thursday. That was an ugly game as the Wildcats lost by 11 points on their home-court. They were favored by 5.5 against the Trojans. If they couldn’t cover versus the Trojans, do they have any chance of beating a spread against the superior UCLA Bruins?

I didn’t think so. The fact that the Arizona Wildcats beat the Washington State Cougars two games ago is impressive, but the loss to USC is a much more telling game to me then that win versus the Cougars. Arizona matches up well against the Cougars. Against a team somewhat like them, sleek and fast with good guard play, the Wildcats suffer.

Arizona just hasn’t figured things out yet. They have good players in Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless, Bayless might turn into a great player, but for some reason they can’t put it all together.

Against the UCLA Bruins the Wildcats’ brand of undisciplined tentativeness on both offense and defense spells doom.

The predicted BetUS line is UCLA Bruins – 6.5 against the spread on the road versus the Arizona Wildcats.
I like the UCLA Bruins to beat the BetUS spread.

Go to the BetUS.com online sportsbook today to bet on NCAA basketball. We have the most current NCAA basketball odds and lines, as well as player and game props. Join BetUS.com to experience the best in online sports betting action!