Arizona and UCLA renew their rivalry Monday night in Las Vegas, opening the 2026/27 college basketball season with a top-25 showdown at T-Mobile Arena.
The Wildcats enter with wide-eyed dreams of making a second consecutive Final Four after a 36-3 campaign, but they face a Bruins team with an experienced frontcourt and enough backcourt talent to make this a difficult opening assignment.
Arizona is favored by 4.5 points, with the total set at 150.5. However, the Wildcats will be without projected starting power forward RJ Godfrey. The Bruins have also kept the last two meetings close, winning 57-54 in 2024 before Arizona edged them 69-65 last season.
Arizona vs. UCLA college basketball betting picks
UCLA +4.5 (-110)
The Wildcats enter the season ranked seventh by KenPom, with the fourth-best projected defense, and fourth by both Bart Torvik and EvanMiya. Tommy Lloyd has built a program that plays with pace, applies pressure and can overwhelm opponents with its athleticism.
Still, UCLA looks like the safer side with 4.5 points in hand. The Bruins rank 25th in KenPom and 24th in Bart Torvik, and their combination of experienced forwards and developing young talent gives Mick Cronin a solid foundation.
Godfrey's absence is particularly important. The Clemson transfer was expected to start at power forward and complement Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov. Without him, Arizona loses a key piece against a UCLA frontcourt featuring returning starters Xavier Booker and Eric Dailey Jr. Nikola Kusturica, a highly touted 6-foot-8 addition from FC Barcelona, also gives the Bruins another versatile matchup problem.
UCLA boasts plenty of upside in the backcourt. Trent Perry finished last season strong, providing a March jolt that landed the Bruins in the Round of 32. At point guard, Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty is awesome.
As a freshman in Lubbock, Petty made his presence felt with 9.9 PPG and a 37.5% mark from three-point range. He was terrific in Texas Tech's Round of 64 victory over Akron, dropping 24 points.
UCLA faces an Arizona backcourt with new point guards in North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon and Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit, along with highly touted freshmen Cameron Holmes and Caleb Holt. The problem is that Dixon struggled last year, shooting well under 40% and Mandaquit averaged less than 20 minutes a game as a freshman.
Arizona will try to exploit that inexperience with defensive pressure and fast-paced offensive aggression.
Arizona offers the higher ceiling, but in game one of the season, on a neutral court, it is worth siding with experience and the higher floor. Arizona's freshmen could turn this play upside down, but Perry, Petty and Dailey Jr. should keep this competitive until the final buzzer sounds.
Under 150.5 (-110)
The recent history between these teams gives the Under a strong starting point. Neither side reached 70 points in either of their last two meetings, and both games finished comfortably below Monday's 150.5-point total.
The matchup also features two contrasting approaches. Arizona wants to push the pace, ranking among the top 50 teams in adjusted tempo under Lloyd every season. UCLA, meanwhile, has consistently played at a much slower rate under Cronin, finishing outside KenPom's top 300 in adjusted tempo in each of the past three seasons.
Arizona will look to speed things up, create turnovers and generate easy transition opportunities. Its pressure was particularly effective during the exhibition schedule, but UCLA and its more experienced guards have the edge in preventing the Wildcats from dictating the game.
Godfrey's absence is another reason to expect a more challenging offensive night for Arizona. His presence would have helped the Wildcats maintain their frontcourt balance.
Motiejus Krivas Over 11.5 Points (-115)
Krivas is an appealing player prop despite the concerns about UCLA's ability to challenge Arizona around the rim. The senior averaged 10.4 points per game across 39 appearances last season, but his role could grow with Godfrey unavailable and Arizona needing reliable production in the frontcourt.
He has already shown he can score efficiently against the Bruins. Krivas finished with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 34 minutes against UCLA last season, adding eight rebounds. He also reached double figures in three of Arizona's five March Madness games.
Booker is an experienced defender who averaged just over one block per game last season, so this is not an easy matchup. However, UCLA has limited frontcourt depth behind him, and Krivas should have opportunities to establish himself in the paint.
The Arizona big man enters his senior season as a preseason All-American and a leading Big 12 Player of the Year contender. With more offensive responsibility expected, he has a chance to clear 11.5 points.
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Arizona vs. UCLA Odds
Arizona State | +163 |
Arizona | -196 |
Spread | Arizona -4.5 |
Total Points | O/U 150.5 |
Read betting picks and predictions for the NCAAB on site
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
