Posted on
3/6/2008 1:53:09 PM
NCAA Basketball Free Picks - Stanford vs. UCLA Odds
By Charles Jay
BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: UCLA -8.5
It will be the biggest regular season game of the year in the Pacific 10 Conference, as the UCLA Bruins (26-3 SU, 18-9-1 ATS) will play host to the Stanford Cardinal (24-4 SU, 14-14 ATS) in a battle for fist place in the conference, scheduled for an 11 PM ET tipoff at the legendary Pauley Pavilion in Westwood.
In the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds, UCLA is listed as an 8.5-point home favorite.
Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* STAN has won 11 of its last 12 games SU
* STAN has covered two of its last six games
* STAN has played five of its last six games OVER the total
* STAN has won seven of its last nine road games SU
* STAN has covered four of its last five road games
* STAN has played four of its last five road games OVER the total
* UCLA has won 10 of its last 11 games SU
* UCLA has covered eight of its last 11 games
* UCLA has played four of its last six games UNDER the total
* UCLA has won 10 of its last 11 home games SU
* UCLA has won and covered four of the last five meetings SU
* The last four meetings have gone OVER the total
* UCLA has had the shooting edge in three of the last five meetings
* UCLA has had the rebounding edge in five of the last seven meetings
* UCLA has made more three-pointers in four of the last five meetings
First, let's go over what is at stake in this game: if Stanford is able to pull off a win, the Cardinal will tie for the lead in the Pac-10. Perhaps part of the reason for the number on this game is that UCLA went to Palo Alto on January 3 and went wild from three-point range, hitting nine shots from beyond the arc in a 76-67 road win.
But that was somewhat unusual for the Bruins, who have averaged only 5.2 baskets from tripleville on the season. UCLA's game involves more mid-range shooting, and getting the ball inside to Kevin Love (17.3 ppg, 11.1 rpg), who at times has been positively Bill Walton-like in this, his freshman season. It may be just lip service, but Love has been making noises like this may not be his one and only campaign in Westwood, and that has given the fans some encouragement.
Stanford, though, seems well-equipped to deal with the strength of Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute on the inside. Brook Lopez, the surefire All-American who mans the middle for Stanford, is on perhaps his best run of the season, with nearly 23 ppg and three blocks a game over the last five. And twin brother Robin almost matches him in rejections (2.3 a game).
Don't count Stanford out of this one. This is a roomy impost, so we'll go with the Cardinal, the 8.5-point underdog in the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: STANFORD
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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)