It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Utah State-UCLA prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Utah State-UCLA.
The Utah State Aggies were 19-2 through the first 21 games of this college basketball season. This team was on a roll, swatting away nearly every challenge and looking like a team which might be able to get a No. 4 or 5 seed from the Mountain West Conference. Keep in mind that when San Diego State made the 2023 Final Four and represented the Mountain West on college basketball’s biggest stage, the Aztecs were a No. 5 seed. SDSU was a No. 5 seed last year as well, when the Aztecs reached the Sweet 16. Utah State had reason to think — when it was 19-2 — that a Sweet 16 season was a realistic goal.
Now that might not be the case. Utah State has slid to a 10 seed as a result of a 7-5 finish in its final 12 games before March Madness. Utah State is still a very impressive 26-7 overall, but the first 21 games and the last 12 games of this season revealed two very different teams. Did the schedule get tougher for USU? To an extent, yes, but that doesn’t fully explain everything. Utah State’s offensive system under first-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun might have been figured out by more opponents. It is also true that late-surging Mountain West teams such as Colorado State were playing their best when they faced Utah State. At any rate, the Aggies have to hit the reset button in this game against UCLA.
Here are the Utah State-UCLA College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
2025 March Madness Tournament Odds: Utah State-UCLA Odds
Utah State: +5.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +172
UCLA: -5.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -210
Over: 142.5 (-115)
Under: 142.5 (-105)
How to Watch Utah State vs UCLA
Time: 9:25 p.m. ET/6:25 p.m. PT
TV: TNT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Utah State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Utah State has not played great basketball over the past month or so, but UCLA has not been lighting it up, either. UCLA got lit up by Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The final margin was 86-70, but the Badgers led by almost 30 and were totally in control throughout the game and registered an unquestioned knockout punch. UCLA never really got off the mat. For a team and a coach (Mick Cronin) which pride themselves on their defense and their toughness, this was a no-show. UCLA could see that Wisconsin was shooting 3-pointers really well in the first few minutes of the game, but the Bruins could never run the Badgers off the 3-point line. Wisconsin finished with 19 made 3-pointers in a barrage which left the Bruins helpless and wondering what happened. UCLA can be really good, but the good version of UCLA this season has come and gone very quickly and without warning. UCLA can play well for a short burst of time, but the Bruins can just as easily disappear. This is a team which lost four straight games early in the Big Ten season and needed a few weeks to figure out how to play well.
Why UCLA Will Cover The Spread/Win
Utah State was a really, really strong team through late January, but we have seen a different and much less formidable team in the past six weeks. Can Utah State regroup in March Madness against UCLA? Sure, it’s possible. However, when a team has been barely above .500 for more than a month, the idea that it can flip the switch and immediately return to its previous high-quality version is unlikely. UCLA, coming off that terrible Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal loss to Wisconsin, will come in angry with a chip on its shoulder. The Bruins have been inconsistent, but they have regularly bounced back after some of their worst moments this season. It’s hard to imagine UCLA not playing good defense in this game. We can debate whether UCLA will shoot well, but the Bruins are going to put the clamps on USU, and that should be more than enough to cover.
Final Utah State-UCLA Prediction & Pick
UCLA will take charge of this game against a stagnant Utah State side. Take UCLA.
Final Utah State-UCLA Prediction & Pick: UCLA -5.5
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