UCLA vs. Arizona State: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds
Looking to recover from their first true road loss of the season, the Bruins will pay the Sun Devils a visit with a chance to get back on track.
WHO: UCLA vs. Arizona State
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 5
TIME: 7 p.m. PT
LOCATION: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, AZ
TV: ESPN2 – Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
STREAMING: fuboTV – Get 7-day Free Trial
RADIO: AM 570, Sirius Ch. 83, XM Ch. 83, SXM App Ch. 83 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SPREAD: UCLA -10 (-110), Arizona State +10 (-118)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA (-654), Arizona State (+400)*
OVER/UNDER: O 130.5 (-118), U 130.5 (-110)*
UCLA is the No. 3 team in the country according to the AP Poll and No. 4 according to the USA Today Coaches Poll. Arizona State is not ranked in either poll.
The latest KenPom ratings have the Bruins at No. 9 and the Sun Devils at No. 138, while the NET Rankings slot UCLA in at No. 12 and Arizona State at No. 149.
UCLA has gotten off to a 16-3 start to this season, losing to then-No. 1 Gonzaga after opening the season 5-0, then recovering with a road win over UNLV, a home win against Colorado and a road win over Marquette before a 26-day COVID-19 hiatus. The Bruins returned to action with wins over Long Beach State and Cal, followed by a loss to Oregon at home.
Immediately following that speed bump, UCLA strung together a six-game winning streak, beating Oregon State, Utah, Colorado, No. 7 Arizona, Cal and Stanford before losing the rematch against the Wildcats on Thursday.
The Bruins are averaging 77.4 points per game and allowing 64.6. UCLA boasts the second-best scoring defense and fourth-best scoring offense in the Pac-12 while also being in the top 10 in the nation in limiting their turnovers at just 9.6 per game.
Guard Johnny Juzang is UCLA's top scorer so far this season with 17.7 points per game, while guard Jules Bernard, guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and guard Tyger Campbell are averaging 13.3, 12.3 and 11.0 a night, respectively. Campbell has the most assists per game with 4.5, Jaquez has the most rebounds per game with 5.3 and center Myles Johnson boasts a team-best 65.4% field goal percentage.
While Jaquez returned from a recent ankle injury and Juzang was released from COVID-19 protocols ahead of Thursday's game, guard Jaylen Clark remains out in concussion protocols.
Arizona State opened the season with a 16-point win over Portland, and have yet to reach such heights in the three months since. The quick downfall started with a loss at home to UC Riverside, then after a single-digit win over North Florida, the Sun Devils followed that up with a five-game skid when it faced San Diego State, Baylor, Syracuse, Loyola Chicago and Washington State.
That loss to the Cougars featured just 29 points by Arizona State, so even though they recovered with three-straight close wins over Oregon, Grand Canyon and Creighton, it was a sign of things to come. Arizona State got upset by San Francisco, then lost six of seven when traditional Pac-12 play opened up in January.
The Sun Devils are averaging 86.0 points per game and allowing 64.5. Arizona State boasts one of the bottom-20 scoring offenses in all of Division I and ranks dead last in the conference in points per game, assists per game, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, free throw percentage. Fouls have been an issue for the Sun Devils, committing the most in the conference while also getting to the line fewer than any other Pac-12 squad.
Leading scorer and Illinois State transfer guard DJ Horne is putting up 13.3 points per game and hasn't missed a free throw all year, but is only attempting 1.1 free throw per game. Forward Kimani Lawrence averages 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while barely shooting over 50% from the charity stripe.
Boston College transfer guard Jay Heath has recently joined the starting lineup alongside Horne, and that pair is shooting a combined 38.7% from deep, but the team's next two leading 3-point shooters are guards Marreon Jackson and Luther Muhammad. That duo, on the other hand, is combing to shoot just 20% from beyond the arc on 8.7 attempts a night.
UCLA and Arizona State were supposed to face off Jan. 1, but the game was called off due to COVID-19 issues on the Bruins' side. The game was rescheduled for Jan. 5, but then it was the Sun Devils who were facing COVID-19 protocols and the game was pulled off the slate again.
Mick Cronin is now in his 19th season as a head coach, and he has an all-time record of 422-195 with 12 NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Murray State, Cincinnati and UCLA. Bobby Hurley is now in his ninth season as a head coach on the opposite bench, and he has an all-time record of 152-116 with three NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Buffalo and Arizona State.
UCLA is 70-23 all-time against Arizona State, and while the Bruins have won three in a row in the head-to-head series, all three contests were either decided by one score or went to overtime.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
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