The UC Riverside Highlanders take on the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles, CA. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET on BTN.
UCLA is favored by -25.5 points on the spread, and the total is set at 150.5 points.
Here’s my UC Riverside vs. UCLA predictions and college basketball picks for December 23, 2025.
UC Riverside vs UCLA Prediction
My Pick: Over 148.5 (Play to 151)
My UC Riverside vs UCLA best bet is on the over. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
UC Riverside vs. UCLA Odds
| UC Riverside Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+25.5 -110 | 150.5 -105 / -115 | OFF |
| UCLA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-25.5 -110 | 150.5 -105 / -115 | OFF |
- UC Riverside vs UCLA spread: UCLA -25.5
- UC Riverside vs UCLA over/under: 150.5 points
UC Riverside vs UCLA College Basketball Betting Preview
UC Riverside Basketball
UC Riverside is 6-7 and 255th on KenPom in year one under head coach Gus Argenal. Argenal comes over from the Division II ranks after a 50-20 record in two seasons at Cal State Bernardino. Prior to that, he was on Eric Musselman’s staff at both Nevada and Arkansas.
Two of the Highlanders' six wins came against non-Division I competition, with the best victory coming in the form of an 85-71 road kill over San Diego (220th in KenPom). Riverside has been tested so far, playing nine true road games. Versus its one high-major opponent in Provo, it lost 100-53 to BYU.
Riverside is led by Division II Sonoma State transfer guard Andrew Henderson, who averages 17.7 points while shooting 37.6% from deep on over seven attempts per game.
Second in scoring is guard Marqui Worthy Jr., who came off the bench for UMass the past two seasons. He’s averaging 14.2 points and 3.2 assists per game.
Argenal’s group is 337th nationally in turnover margin, losing that battle by an average of three giveaways per game.
The one thing Riverside has been pretty decent at is defensive rebounding, where they’re inside the top 100 nationally.
UCLA Basketball
UCLA is 9-3 on the year and off to a 2-0 start in Big Ten play. The Bruins played both Arizona and Gonzaga really tough, but lost by eight to a surprisingly good Cal team.
Unlike a typical Mick Cronin team, this group is better offensively then it is on the defensive end. UCLA checks in at 26th offensively on KenPom, but it's just 53rd on defense.
One reason for this is the lack of rim deterrence. Michigan State transfer Xavier Booker got off to a strong start this season, but he’s cooled off lately and lost Cronin's trust. He only played three minutes last time out in a 108-87 home win over Cal Poly.
This means we’ve been seeing a lot of Tyler Bilodeau at the five. Although this limits the defensive upside for the Bruins, it makes them much more difficult to guard.
The 6-foot-9 Bilodeau is averaging 17.5 points per game on 50/40/90 splits.
Skyy Clark is averaging 14.2 points a game and shooting 51.6% from beyond the arc. The Bruins are shooting a lights out 40.3% from deep, which ranks 10th nationally.
Point guard Donovan Dent was one of the most sought after players in the transfer portal, and he’s been solid to start the year. His 6.9 assists per game are great, but his 3-point percentage has dropped from 41% last season at New Mexico to a measly 12% this season.
The fit of Dent at UCLA is was an interesting marriage because of the pace discrepancy between Cronin and Richard Pitino at New Mexico. The Lobos played at the seventh-fastest pace nationally and let Dent push the ball up the floor in transition.
Cronin said he was going to adapt to Dent’s style, but UCLA hasn’t run that often (320th in tempo).
UC Riverside vs. UCLA Betting Analysis
UCLA trailed by three at halftime vs Cal Poly at home on Friday. The Bruins responded by scoring 65 in the second half, winning by 21.
For context, Cal Poly is 5-8 and plays at the second-fastest tempo in the country.
I expect UCLA to come out focused and ready to go from the jump. I wonder if Booker’s benching will transfer over to this game and we’ll see more of that offensive-minded lineup. I think there's a chance Cronin leans into his team's strengths, letting Bilodeau rock out at the five spot for extended run.
This makes the total I’m seeing look quite low (especially at Caesars, which sits at 148.5 at the time of writing). Riverside is outside the top 300 in defensive efficiency. BYU scored 100 against the Highlanders, and I think UCLA easily gets to 90-plus here.
My Pick: Over 148.5 (Play to 151)
