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Madison Square Garden will host the CBS Sports Classic NCAAB matchup between the 16th-ranked UCLA Bruins and the 13th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday (December 17) evening.
The Bruins are 9-2 this season and are on a six-game winning streak after an 87-60 road win on Wednesday against the Maryland Terrapins. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are 7-2 and are riding a four-game winning streak after a 69-59 home win over the Yale Bulldogs last Saturday.
UCLA Bruins vs Kentucky Wildcats Betting Odds
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UCLA Bruins vs Kentucky Wildcats Match Details
Fixture: UCLA Bruins vs. Kentucky Wildcats
Time and date: Saturday, December 17, 5:15 pm ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
UCLA Bruins vs Kentucky Wildcats Key Stats
The Bruins are a dominant offensive team, averaging 81.8 points per game. They distributed the basketball well, averaging 16.5 assists over the course of the season.
Senior guard Jaime Jaquez Jr has led the team, averaging 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 1.8 steals in 30.4 minutes per game. He definitely made his presence felt throughout the game with his overall production.
Their defense needs a bit of improvement, as they're allowing 63 points per game. The Bruins are doing decently, forcing 3.2 blocks and 8.8 steals per game. They need to continue to improve on that side of the floor to do well and snap their losing streak.
The Wildcats are a strong offensive team, as they are scoring 80.6 points per outing and shooting 46.9% from the field. Senior forward Oscar Tshiebwe has been doing well, averaging 16.1 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game in 28.6 minutes this season.
Defensively, they have been doing decently well throughout the year, as they have given up 64.1 points per game. They need to continue playing better, as they're forcing 5.7 blocks and 8.1 steals per game up to this point.
UCLA Bruins vs Kentucky Wildcats Best Picks and Prediction
These are two incredible programs, but there is a reason why the Bruins are on a winning streak and that is because they are the better team. The travel is not going to be an issue as they already played in Maryland earlier in the week, so the cross-country flight is not going to be a factor. UCLA has been shooting incredibly well as they are connecting on 50.4% of their shots and should continue to do so here, so go with them to win and cover a small spread.
Prediction: UCLA Bruins -1.5 (-118)
$1,000 No Sweat First Bet with FanDuel Sportsbook
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