Ever since the NCAA implemented the First Four play-in games, at least one of the non-16 seed winners each year has gone on to win its Round of 64 game. St. Bonaventure and UCLA will look to continue that trend against the Florida Gators but first the Bonnies and Bruins need to fight for the opportunity when they clash in Dayton on Tuesday.
- St. Bonaventure is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games after a loss.
- UCLA is 3-10 SU and 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games as a favorite of 3.5 or less.
- UCLA is 5-0 SU in its last five games against the Atlantic 10.
St. Bonaventure has won 13 of its last 14 games but that one loss came in the A-10 conference final against Davidson thanks to a struggling Bonnies defense. Despite that poor showing – an outing that saw the traditionally strong perimeter defense disappear – St. Bonaventure has held eight of its last 14 opponents to under 70 points. Offensively, the team relies on the senior guard duo of Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley. Adams and Mobley finished the regular season fourth and sixth in scoring respectively in the A-10.
UCLA has been inconsistent all season long but enters the NCAA Tournament riding a high. The Bruins made it all the way to the Pac-12 finals and took Arizona – a team that enters the tourney as a No. 4 seed – to overtime. The defense finally started to catch up to the offense during the conference tourney with UCLA holding opponents to 42.6 percent shooting but the perimeter defense still needs work. With plenty of offensive firepower, it can be easy to ignore that UCLA paced the Pac-12 in rebounding thanks largely to center Thomas Welsh.
UCLA Bruins vs St. Bonaventure Bonnies Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The UCLA Bruins will look to cover the spread vs the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Tuesday, as the Bruins are 15-16-1 versus the spread this season, while the Bonnies are 15-15 ATS. UCLA is 18-14 against the total, while St. Bonaventure is 17-13 versus the total betting line.
The power rankings show the Bonnies rated this week at No. 64 and the Bruins sitting at No. 61.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits St. Bonaventure's No. 64-ranked offense, averaging 77.32 PPG, against a Bruins defense that ranks No. 215 at 76.31 PPG. The Bonnies' field-goal percentage has averaged 45.14% so far, less than the Bruins marksmen have achieved on the year, 46.13% per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Bruins endured a 78-67 loss at the hands of the Arizona Wildcats on Friday, despite a 17-point effort from Thomas Welsh at T-Mobile Arena.
St. Bonaventure got 20 points from Jaylen Adams but lost anyway, 82-70, to Davidson on Saturday at Capital One Arena.
