The UCLA Bruins and Michigan State Spartans each have a winning knack at tournament time, but it remains to be seen whether the green jerseys can prove lucky for MSU on St. Patrick's Day.
This matchup is a 7 vs 10 battle in the Southeast Region at St. Petes Times Forum and features two teams that have been Final Four regulars in the past decade.
Many like UCLA, with nearly 80 % of the action at some books favoring the Bruins, a 1.5-point underdog here. The Spartans have been money makers of late going 8-2 ATS past 10 Madness contests.
View Michigan State vs UCLA Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
It's a betting matchup between the No. 53-rated Bruins and the No. 67-ranked Spartans, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at Odds Shark. Prediction formulas run on this game indicate a possible 72-70 result in favor of the Bruins.
How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Spartans rank No. 74 in NCAA Division 1 with 37 per game. That compares with UCLA’s No. 63 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where UCLA is college basketball's No. 282-ranked team at 5.2 per game, while the Spartans rate No. 148 with 6.4 per game.
Defensively, Michigan State features the nation's No. 159-rated defense on the road, allowing 70.1 points per game. UCLA, meanwhile, comes in at No. 165 nationally in scoring at home.
Michigan State was a 61-48 loser in their most recent outing against Penn State. They failed to cover the 4–point spread as favorites.
UCLA was a 76-59 loser in its last match against Oregon. They failed to cover the 8–point spread as favorites.
Michigan State Spartans Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
After playing Penn State are 9-1
After a loss are 7-3
UCLA Bruins Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
After playing Oregon are 9-1
After a loss are 6-4
A few Spartans at Bruins trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of UCLA's last 5 games
UCLA is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
