UCLA vs. Saint Mary's prediction, odds: 2022 NCAA Tournament picks, March Madness best bets from proven model
Two California programs will clash in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament on Saturday. No. 4 UCLA (26-7) finished second in the Pac-12 and knocked off No. 13 Akron in the first round of March Madness 2022. Meanwhile, No. 5 Saint Mary's (26-7) placed second in the West Coast Conference and routed No. 12 Indiana in its tourney opener. The winner of Saint Mary's vs. UCLA will then face North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
Tipoff is set for 7:10 p.m. ET from Moda Center in Portland, Ore. The latest UCLA vs. Saint Mary's odds list the Bruins as three-point favorites, according to Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total points scored is set at 126. Before making any Saint Mary's vs. UCLA picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UCLA vs. Saint Mary's and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2022. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Saint Mary's vs. UCLA:
- UCLA vs. Saint Mary's spread: UCLA -3
- UCLA vs. Saint Mary's over-under: 126 points
- UCLA vs. Saint Mary's money line: UCLA -150, Saint Mary's +130
- UCLA: The Bruins are 7-4 against the spread over their last 11 games
- STM: The Gaels are 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games on the road or at neutral sites
Why UCLA can cover
The Bruins are as balanced as any team in the country, ranking 15th in KenPom's offensive efficiency rankings and 12th in defensive efficiency. That makes them just one of four teams in the nation in the top 15 of both categories, and UCLA has a number of individual players who can take over any game. One of those is Johnny Juzang and the 6-foot-6 junior made the NCAA All-Tournament team during the Bruins' Final Four run last year.
Juzang's 146 career points in the NCAA Tournament are second-most among all active players. He lives for March and averages 20.9 PPG in the NCAA tourney compared to 10.6 PPG in all other games. Juzang is complemented in the backcourt by Tyger Campbell who averages 11.7 PPG and a team-leading 4.2 APG. Campbell is one of UCLA's three All-Pac-12 first-team selections and he's scored at least 14 points in each of his last three games.
Why Saint Mary's can cover
Few teams had a better first-round performance than the Gaels, who defeated an Indiana squad by 29 points. Saint Mary's starting lineup alone outscored the entire Hoosiers squad by a 58-53 margin, and Logan Johnson led the way with 20 points. He leads the WCC in steals and he put in work on the defensive end of the court as well with three swipes of the Hoosiers.
Saint Mary's defense held three-time All-Big Ten selection, Trayce Jackson-Davis, to just a dozen points after he dropped 29 on Wyoming in the First Four. And defense is the Gaels' specialty as it ranks ninth nationally in points allowed per game (60.3) and 14th in defensive efficiency (91.7). Saint Mary's could frustrate a Bruins offense that can be a bit one-dimensional, as UCLA makes just 6.9 3-pointers per game, which ranks 230th in the nation.
How to make Saint Mary's vs. UCLA picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 137 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
