Over the last couple of years, the UCLA Bruins have made some pretty respectable runs in the online NCAA basketball betting tournament. Steve Alford took the reins to the program back in 2013, and the former player was able to make back-to-back appearances to the NCAA’s Sweet Sixteen round. However, Alford’s crew suffered a slip-up the following year and posted a lackluster 15-17 record that barred the Bruins from competing in the NCAA tournament. Nevertheless, with the NCAA committee using 2017 as the first year to announce the top-16 seeds several weeks before the official start of the March Madness betting season, UCLA can finish out the regular season in a confident fashion knowing that their ticket to the tournament is already punched.
The Bruins will take to the court Wednesday night to face off against the ailing Washington Huskies at home in the Pauley Pavilion. The unranked Huskies pale in comparison to No. 3 UCLA and the sportsbook odds will likely reflect that to a T. Let’s see what kind of odds the bookmakers have posted for Wednesday’s matchup.
ONLINE NCAA BASKETBALL BETTING ODDS – REGULAR SEASON – March, 1st
UCLA Bruins -22 (-110) 173 ½ (-110) -8500
Washington Huskies +22 (-110) 173 ½ (-110) +3500
As predicted, the odds aren’t giving the Huskies much of a shot Wednesday night and rightfully so. Washington has crawled their way to a 9-19 record this season that includes a pitiable 2-14 record in Pac-12 play. Coming off a season that saw Washington go 19-15, the Huskies are poised to deliver an even more disappointing performance this season. The Huskies currently rank penultimate in the Pac-12.
The sportsbook underdogs will turn to Markelle Fultz to lead them in this nearly hopeless plight. Fultz is currently leading the Huskies in points with his averages of 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. Second in points for Washington is David Crisp who is currently putting up 14.3 points, 2.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game. Third on the team with points is Noah Dickerson, who is currently netting Washington 11.5 points, 0.8 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game.
The Bruins have had a much more successful season and ride into this contest with a 26-3 record that paints UCLA as a clear online NCAA basketball betting favorite over the lowly Huskies. In addition to their stellar regular season record, the Bruins have posted a respectable 13-3 record in the Pac-12 that ranks UCLA third in the conference, 1.5 behind both Oregon and Arizona who are currently tied for the lead.
The sportsbook favorites will be led by TJ Leaf who is leading the team in points with his average of 16.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game. Second on the team with points is Bryce Alford who is averaging 16.1 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. Lonzo Ball is UCLA’s third-leading point scorer and he nets the team 14.8 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game.
