UCLA vs. Ole Miss Women: Picks, Predictions and Odds

The UCLA Bruins, the top-seeded team in Regional 1, take on the No. 5 seed Ole Miss Rebels on Friday night in Spokane, Washington.

Coach Cori Close’s UCLA squad is having a season to remember. The Bruins were ranked No. 1 overall for 13 weeks and have gone 32-2, with their only two losses to crosstown rival USC. 

UCLA got a measure of revenge over the Trojans with a win in the Big Ten Conference tournament championship game.

Close has her team in the round of 16 for the third straight season and seventh time in her 14 campaigns at the helm. The Bruins have only reached the regional final once during that stretch, and the Bruins have never made the last four in program history.

UCLA expects a stiff test from the No. 5 seed Rebels, who are 22-10 and finished sixth overall in the deep and talented SEC. They knocked off top-10 squads LSU and Kentucky and played tough against a host of other top-25 sides both in and out of conference. That includes a two-point defeat to UCLA’s rivals, USC, at the start of the season.

Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin is getting the program back to the glory days of Van Chancellor in the 1980s-90s as Ole Miss has made four straight trips to the tournament. However, the Rebels have not reached a regional final in 18 years. 

See below for our expert predictions on who will win this round of 16 matchup.

UCLA vs. Ole Miss betting picks and predictions

UCLA -8.5 (-105)

Ole Miss will not back down from this matchup after posting four wins over top-25 teams this season, but they also lost eight games in those matchups, several by nine points or more, and UCLA is 10-2 against the top-25 this season.

The Rebels defeated No. 12 seed Ball State in the first round on the strength of Starr Jacobs’ 18 points and 11 rebounds. Kennedy Todd-Williams added 15 points and 11 rebounds and Madison Scott, the team’s leading scorer, scored 15 points as well.

Ole Miss then pulled off the mild upset in the second round, knocking off host and No. 4 seed Baylor, 69-63. Sira Thienou led the way with 16 points and six rebounds, followed by Scott with 14 points and reserve KK Davis with 13 points.

Despite their early success, the Rebels just don’t have an answer for UCLA's 6-foot-7 All-American center Lauren Betts inside at either end of the court. She is averaging 19.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks this season and is a finalist for National Defensive Player of the Year.

Betts, who is averaging 22 points and 10 rebounds in the tournament, sets the tone inside for a Bruins squad that has outrebounded its first two opponents by a combined 84-51.

She and her teammates got off to a good start in the tournament with an 84-46 victory over No. 16 seed Southern in the first round. Betts had 14 points and six rebounds, Londynn Jones scored 11 points, Kiki Rice had 10 points and seven assists, and Gabriela Jaquez chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds in an 84-46 triumph. 

Betts upped her game as needed with 30 points and 14 rebounds in an 84-67 victory over No. 8 seed Richmond in the second round. Rice added 23 points and seven assists, and Timea Gardner had 11 points.

Rice, who’s averaging 13.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.5 steals this year, is the perfect complement to Betts on the perimeter. She is averaging 16.5 points and seven assists in the tournament and makes teams pay for doubling down on Betts inside.

The Rebels won’t go away, but UCLA, which averages nearly 79 points a game, should get the job done and reach the final eight. Look for the Bruins to win and cover the 8.5-point spread as favorites.

Over 133.5 Total Points (-110)

It’s a regional semifinal, and Ole Miss is going to need to stay with the Bruins the whole way if they want to have a chance at winning. 

UCLA is averaging 84 points in the tournament, and the Rebels have averaged 76 points so far. 

While those numbers should dip slightly against stiffer defensive competition, the two teams to combine for Over 133.5 points is the way to go here.

Read more betting picks and predictions for College Basketball on site.

UCLA vs. Ole Miss odds

UCLA	-425 ML
Ole Miss	+325 ML
Spread	UCLA -8.5
Total Points	O/U 133.5

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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.