UCLA vs. Utah State Prediction, Odds & Preview Tonight: Best Picks for NCAA Tournament First Round
Can the No. 7 seed UCLA Bruins (22-10) live up to their status as favorites tonight against the No. 10 seed Utah State Aggies (26-7)? our UCLA vs. Utah State predictions, odds, and preview for tonight's game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., (9:25 p.m. ET, TNT) analyzes the Aggies' chances of keeping things tight.
The picks below are part oof our best March Madness predictions as we offer March Madness bracket tips and advice throughout the NCAA Tournament.
🏀 UCLA vs. Utah State prediction & picks today
Here are my best UCLA vs. Utah State predictions for the first round of the NCAA Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:
✅ Against the spread pick: Utah State +5.5 (-110 via Caesars) vs. UCLA ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Best player prop bet: Mason Falslev Over 1.5 made 3-pointers (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Utah State 76, UCLA 74 (+34000 via FanDuel)
👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness first-round predictions.
🤖 See our March Madness AI bracket predictions for every game through Monday, April 7
🔢 UCLA vs. Utah State updated betting action
- 53% of bets are on the Bruins (-5.5) to cover
- 54% of bets are on the Under
- UCLA opened as 4.5-point betting favorites. That line has increased to 5.5 points a couple hours before tipoff
🏆 Best UCLA vs. Utah State pick, player prop bet & score prediction
Our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds for any March Madness market across legal sportsbooks in your area!
✅ Utah State to cover the spread: +5.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
One of the better 3-point shooting teams in the tournament field (35.8%), Utah State is being miscast as a sizable underdog to a UCLA group that has laid more than its fair share of eggs throughout the season.
The Bruins went 9-8 in Quad 1 games but lost in one of their two Quad 3 affairs while dropping another contest in Quad 2. UCLA’s resume was still stronger than Utah State’s coming into this tournament, but the Aggies have the makeup to push the Bruins.
Utah State’s 17th-ranked adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom helps cover a lot of warts; the Aggies have the best AdjO of any double-digit seed in the field. Plus, any favorite that struggles to knock down free throws—UCLA is 70.3% on the season, 68.6% over its last three games—could be tempting fate when it comes to closing a 5.5-point spread.
📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars ($10 to win $9.09)
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🔥 Mason Falslev Over 1.5 made 3-pointers ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Utah State fires off 3-point attempts at a rate among the top 100 teams in the country, as 3-point tries account for 42.3% of its field goal attempts. Knocking down 35.8% of its deep-range attempts, the Aggies rank 67th in the nation in the category.
After attempting a season-high 10 threes (draining three of them) in the Mountain West Tournament against Colorado State, Falslev should get more looks against the Bruins. UCLA’s opposing 3-point percentage falls outside the top 125, and Bruins opponents fire away from deep on 44.8% of their field goal attempts.
You can use BetMGM bonus code SBRBONUS to get -110 odds on Falslev knocking down Over 1.5 made 3-pointers, as he’s done 16 times on the campaign.
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🎯 Score prediction: Utah State 76, UCLA 74
These 7-10 matchups have been closer to coin flips in recent years, with 40% of the 10 seeds prevailing over the past five tournaments—and at least one 10 seed doing so in each of those five brackets. It's become one of the most common March Madness upsets.
Utah State has the chops to fulfill that role this year. Still, it’s honestly more about UCLA’s inconsistency than anything else—and at 247th in the nation in free-throw percentage, the favored Bruins are simply asking for trouble if they allow Utah State to hang around.
The Aggies’ mediocre defensive efficiency means they likely aren’t primed for a long run in March, but their 3-point efficiency could be enough to spur an upset over a UCLA team that gives it up from deep
📊 Best odds: +34000 via FanDuel ($10 to win $3,400)
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🤖 UCLA vs. Utah State AI prediction
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NCAA Tournament stats before predicting the winner and exact score for UCLA vs. Utah State. Our AI prediction projects a final score of UCLA 74, Utah State 68.
🖥️ AI score prediction: UCLA 74, Utah State 68
- UCLA's Defensive Edge: The Bruins boast a top-20 defense, allowing just 62.3 points per game, which could stifle Utah State's offense
- Utah State's 3-Point Proficiency: The Aggies rank in the top 10 nationally for 3-point shooting percentage, making them a potential threat from beyond the arc.
- Betting Trend Alert: In the past five tournaments, No. 10 seeds have won 40% of their matchups against No. 7 seeds, indicating a higher upset potential in this seeding
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean UCLA covering the spread (-5.5) and a total of Under 144.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that March Madness bettors might overlook.
📊 Live UCLA vs. Utah State odds
Follow the latest live March Madness college basketball odds and real-time NCAA Tournament scores for the first round.
Latest UCLA vs. Utah State odds
Our updated UCLA vs. Utah States odds are via BetMGM.
Spread
UCLA opened as 4.5-point betting favorites. That line has increased to 5.5 points a couple hours before tipoff.
Total
The total has moved from 143.5 to 144.5 in the hours leading up to tipoff. The Under is at -115 odds and the Over -105.
Moneyline
UCLA's moneyline odds have shortened from -210 to -235, an implied probability shift of 67.74% to 70.15%.
🔢 UCLA vs. Utah State opening odds
- Spread: UCLA -4.5 (-110) | Utah State +4.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: UCLA -210 | Utah State +170
- Over/Under: Over 143.5 (-110) | Under 143.5 (-110)
📅 Check out the full March Madness first-round schedule and opening odds.
🔮 Midwest Region expert picks
- Midwest Region betting preview
- Houston vs. SIU Edwardsville prediction
- Gonzaga vs. Georgia prediction
- McNeese vs. Clemson prediction
- Purdue vs. High Point prediction
- Illinois vs. Xavier prediction
- Kentucky vs. Troy prediction
- UCLA vs. Utah State prediction
- Tennessee vs. Wofford prediction
📺 How to watch UCLA vs. Utah State: NCAA Tournament first round
📅 Date: Thursday, March 20
🕗 Time: 9:25 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.)
📺 TV: TNT
💻 Streaming: March Madness Live
💰 March Madness betting odds pages
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