Penn State Nittany Lions vs UCLA Bruins NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 2/8/25
The Nittany Lions and Bruins are set to face off at 4:00 ET on BTN. The Bruins will host the game at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. This Big Ten conference matchup has an over/under of 142.5 points, and UCLA is favored to win by -8.5 at home vs. Penn State.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS VS UCLA BRUINS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Penn State Nittany Lions +8.5
This game will be played at Pauley Pavilion at 4:00 ET on Saturday, February 8th.
WHY BET THE PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-72 in favor of the Bruins.
- Even though we have UCLA winning straight-up, we like Penn State at +8.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 142.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Will Penn State Shock Everyone at Pauley Pavilion?
Penn State Nittany Lions Recent Game/Games
Penn State’s season record dropped to 13-10 after a 69-61 home loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. The Nittany Lions were favored by 7 points but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 130 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.
Penn State led 25-21 at halftime but allowed 48 points in the second half while scoring 36 of their own. Defensive lapses and missed opportunities contributed to the loss.
In their last game, Penn State struggled offensively, shooting just 34.5% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc, finishing with 61 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 39.7%, and they hit 75% of their free throws, going 15-for-20 from the line.
Dawson Garcia led the way with 19 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 46.7% overall. D’Marco Dunn added 18 points, hitting 54.5% of his shots and 50% from three-point range. Brennan Rigsby was perfect from the field, going 5-for-5, including 2-for-2 from deep.
Despite Penn State’s strong defensive effort, they allowed 69 points while holding their opponent to just 34% shooting from the field. The Nittany Lions limited two-point opportunities, with their opponent hitting only 14 of 38 attempts, a 36% success rate.
From beyond the arc, Penn State’s defense kept their opponent to 6 made threes on 20 attempts, a 30% shooting performance. The Nittany Lions sent their opponent to the line 20 times, where they converted 15 free throws, shooting 75%. Penn State also gave up 14 offensive rebounds.
Can the Bruins Offense Score Enough at Home?
UCLA Bruins Recent Game/Games
UCLA improved to 17-6 on the season with a narrow 63-61 win over Michigan State on Tuesday. The Bruins were -2.5 favorites at home but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 124 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.
UCLA led 35-28 at halftime but allowed the Spartans to score 33 points in the 2nd half while managing 28 points of their own.
UCLA struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 63 points with a field goal percentage of 35% (21/60). Their effective field goal percentage was 40%, and they hit only 25% of their three-point attempts, going 7/28 from beyond the arc.
Jaden Akins led the Bruins with 15 points, shooting 42.9% overall and from three-point range (3/7). Skyy Clark added 14 points, but connected on just 30% of his shots, including 2/8 from deep. Tyler Bilodeau contributed 13 points, shooting 40% from the field and 33.3% from three.
UCLA’s defense was strong in their last game, holding their opponent to just 61 points. They limited the opposition to 35% shooting from the field, with a 43% success rate on two-point attempts (14/32).
From beyond the arc, UCLA’s defense was effective, as the other team shot only 25% (7/28). They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 19 times, where they made 14 shots (73%). UCLA gave up 8 offensive rebounds.