The third-ranked Arizona Wildcats (16-1) opened as a 2.5-point road favorite for Tuesday night's marquee showdown at No. 7 UCLA (13-2), with the projected points total set at 152.5.Β
As of Tuesday morning, the line seems to have shifted to Arizona (-3.5) and over/under 150.5 points at some sportsbooks.Β
We take a look at recent betting trends for the two schools ahead of the heavily-hyped matchup. Β
No. 3 ArizonaΒ
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd pulls guard Kerr Kriisa in for a word in the first half of their Jan. 13 game against Colorado. The Cats visited the Golden State Warriors on Friday, and Kriisa jokingly posted that he had signed a 10-day contract with the club.
In addition to being one of the top teams in the country, the Wildcats also boast an impressive record against the spread (ATS). Arizona is 11-5-1 ATS under coach Tommy Lloyd and have covered in three of their last four Pac-12 games.Β
Arizona has been favored in all but two of their games this season (Michigan, Tennessee). The Wildcats are 10-4-1 ATS when favored and 5-2 ATS when playing away from McKale Center.
Over/under point totals have been less predictable despite Arizona's high-octane offense. 10 of UA's game have gone over the projected total, with seven having gone under.Β
Eight of Arizona's first 10 games hit the over, though that trend has flipped in the last month. Since Dec. 18, five of the Cats' last seven games have gone under the total.Β
When the projected total has been 152 points or higher, the under has hit in four of those seven times.Β
No. 7 UCLA
UCLA's Johnny Juzang, left, looks to pass the ball in last week's win over Colorado. The Bruins, who made the Final Four last year, host Arizona in a Top-10 matchup Tuesday. The teams will meet again at McKale Center next week.
While still putting together a Pac-12 Championship-caliber season, the Bruins have not been a bettor's best friend thus far. UCLA is 6-8-1 ATS and have failed to cover in five of their last six outings; all but one of those matchups have come against Pac-12 opponents.
The Bruins have been a favorite in 14 of 15 games. The lone time they were underdogs came on Nov. 23 against Gonzaga when the Bruins were seven-point dogs. Gonzaga controlled the game and won 83-63.Β
At home, UCLA is 3-5-1 ATS but 8-1 straight up.Β
The Bruins are also hard to read on the points total side, with seven games going over the total, seven games under and one game being a push. UCLA has had just one matchup with a projected points total over 152. The total of 156 points projected against Gonzaga finished at 146.Β
UA-UCLA betting trends
The Wildcats are 0-5 straight up as well as 0-5 ATS in their last five matchups against the Bruins. Arizona's last regular season win over UCLA came on Jan. 21, 2017 when the No. 14-ranked Cats took down the No. 3 Bruins 96-85 in L.A.
The under has also hit in five of the last seven meetings between the two schools.Β
Tubelis' injury
Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis is questionable to play with an ankle injury and it's likely the team won't announce his status for the game until warmups. If Tubelis plays, the line could further shift in Arizona's favor.
