The UCLA Bruins play the UConn Huskies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tip-off is set for 8:45 p.m. ET on TNT.
UConn is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -198. Meanwhile, UCLA is the underdog at +4.5 with the moneyline at +164. The total is set at 136.5 points.
Here’s my UCLA vs. UConn prediction and college basketball picks for March 22, 2026.
UCLA vs UConn Prediction
My Pick: Over 136.5 or Better
My UCLA vs UConn 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.
UCLA vs UConn Odds
| UCLA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 136.5 -108o / -112u | +164 |
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 136.5 -108o / -112u | -198 |
- UCLA vs UConn spread: UConn -4.5
- UCLA vs UConn over/under: 136.5 points
- UCLA vs UConn moneyline: UCLA +164, UConn -198
UCLA vs UConn College Basketball Betting Preview
I project UConn as a 3.3-point favorite with an 137.7-point total, so I show slight value on both the underdog and the over.
From a schematic perspective, I align with my projection for two reasons.
First, I think both offenses have decent matchups against the opposing defense.
The Huskies don’t play strict drop coverage, but I see them dropping Tarris Reed Jr. and Eric Reibe plenty. Ultimately, their defense has many characteristics of a typical drop-coverage squad — the Huskies funnel ball-screen action into the middle of the floor and deny 3-point shots.
That sets up well for UCLA, which lives in the mid-range behind ball-screen creation from Donovan Dent, who ended the season on a heater.
On the other end, Mick Cronin likes to hard-hedge and recover against the ball-screen, which is vulnerable to motion offenses with crisp passing and elite weak-side shooting (the Bruins allow a ton of 3-point shots). That perfectly encapsulates Dan Hurley’s pattern-motion offense.
It’s worth noting that UConn has had some turnover issues this season, which could be a problem when UCLA brings two to the ball-handler. Specifically, that could lead to plenty of run-out buckets for the Bruins, which would only help the over and the ‘dog.
I have been slightly higher than the market on the Bruins over the past few weeks, so I’m not surprised that I show value on them in this matchup. That said, I’m a little hesitant to hop on the Bruin bandwagon because of Tyler Bilodeau’s uncertain status.
That said, I’m happy to take the over regardless of whether he plays.
My Pick: Over 136.5 or Better
