The UCLA Bruins (10-3) take on the No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes (11-2) in Iowa City, Iowa. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Iowa is favored by 7 points on the spread with a moneyline of -305. The total is set at 137.5 points.
Here’s my UCLA vs. Iowa prediction and college basketball picks for January 3, 2026.
UCLA vs. Iowa Odds, Spread Picks
| UCLA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -110 | 137.5 -110o / -110u | +245 |
| Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -110 | 137.5 -110o / -110u | -305 |
My Pick: Iowa -4.5 or Better | Over 138 or Better
My UCLA vs Iowa best bet is on the Hawkeyes to cover and the over. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
How To Make UCLA vs Iowa Picks
I project Iowa as a 6.8-point favorite, with a total of 141.
So, I'll be on both the Hawkeyes and the Over.
Regarding the side, I'm always looking to fade Mick Cronin when he leaves the Pacific Time Zone. West-Coast Big Ten teams have typically struggled traveling Eastward, and this will be the Bruins' first foray that way this season.
These are two ball-screen-heavy offenses against two defenses that hedge. However, the best way to create offense against hedging defenses is to find secondary creation, often through weak-side spot-up 3-point attempts. In that regard, these are two elite 3-point shooting teams (UCLA 40%, Iowa 39%).
I think both these squads can circumvent and score on the opposing defense.
However, I trust Bennett Stirtz more than Donovan Dent as a primary pick-and-roll ball-handler — Dent has been rather underwhelming in that role so far this season (.80 PPP, 49th percentile).
Additionally, Iowa is a dangerous short-roll-and-cut offense off of Stirtz, which is an elite way to create secondary offense against Cronin's aggressive ball-screen coverage.
Meanwhile, when not running ball-screens, UCLA is slightly more comfortable creating in post-up sets with Tyler Bilodeau, which I don't think will be as effective, especially considering the Iowa bigs have been rock-solid in post defense (.74 PPP allowed, 81st percentile).
Ultimately, I see Iowa winning a higher-scoring-than-expected game at home.
My Pick: Iowa -4.5 or Better | Over 138 or Better
