UCLA vs. Oregon: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds
The first meeting between the Bruins and Ducks went to overtime, with the visiting Oregon winning 84-81 in upset fashion, and now UCLA will get a chance at redemption in an arena where it has won just once since 2014.
WHO: UCLA vs. Oregon
DATE: Thursday, Feb. 24
TIME: 6:30 p.m. PT
LOCATION: Matthew Knight Arena, Euegne, OR
TV: ESPN – Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst)
STREAMING: fuboTV – Get 7-day Free Trial
RADIO: AM 570, Sirius Ch. 158, XM Ch. 197, SXM App Ch. 959 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SPREAD: UCLA -2.5 (-118), Oregon +2.5 (-110)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA (-150), Oregon (+115)*
OVER/UNDER: O 136.5 (-118), U 136.5 (-110)*
UCLA is the No. 12 team in the country according to the AP Poll while coming in at No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Oregon did not receive votes in either poll.
The latest KenPom ratings have the Bruins at No. 10 and the Ducks at No. 71, while the NET Rankings slot UCLA in at No. 13 and Oregon at No. 66. In the NCAA selection committee's March Madness preview on Saturday, UCLA was listed as a No. 4 seed in the Midwest, while Oregon is just off of the bubble at the moment.
UCLA is 20-5 so far this season 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, Arizona, Cal and Stanford. UCLA hit a new low point when it lost to Arizona, Arizona State and USC in a one-week span, but it did recover with wins over Washington, Washington State and Arizona State last weekend.
The Bruins are averaging 76.6 points per game and allowing 64.4. UCLA boasts the second-best scoring defense and third-best scoring offense in the Pac-12 while also being in the top five in the nation in limiting their turnovers at just 9.5 per game.
Guard Johnny Juzang is UCLA's top scorer so far this season with 17.5 points per game, while guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr, guard Jules Bernard and guard Tyger Campbell are averaging 12.0, 12.0 and 11.7 a night, respectively. Campbell has the most assists per game with 4.4 and center Myles Johnson has the most rebounds per game with 6.1 while shooting a team-best 62.7% from the field.
Campbell missed Monday's game against Arizona State with a shoulder injury, while guard/forward Peyton Watson missed it with a knee injury. Both players are day-to-day, according to coach Mick Cronin.
Oregon is 17-10 so far in 2021, stumbling out of the gates with neutral site losses to BYU, St. Mary's and Houston in November. Things didn't get much better when the Ducks opened conference play, as they fell to Arizona State in overtime and Stanford on the road a few days later.
Immediately following that stretch, though, Oregon went 7-1, with the only loss coming by single-digits to then-No. 1 Baylor and wins coming over Portland, Pepperdine, Utah, Oregon State, UCLA, USC and Washington. A loss to Colorado was followed up by a four-game winning streak, putting Oregon on the safe side of the bubble, but a 1-3 stretch has them backtracking despite a one-score loss to Arizona on Saturday.
The Ducks are averaging 72.4 points per game and allowing 68.0. Oregon boasts the second-best scoring average and field goal percentage in the Pac-12, but ranks towards the bottom of the conference in free throw percentage, points against per game and offensive rebounds against.
Guard Will Richardson is Oregon's leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, and he also leads the way with 3.4 assists per game and a 41.5% 3-point percentage. Guards Jacob Young and De'Vion Harmon are the other two Ducks who average double-digit points per game, while guard Eric Williams, forward Quincy Guerrier and center N'Faly Dante all average just over 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Mick Cronin is now in his 19th season as a head coach, and he has an all-time record of 426-198 with 12 NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Murray State, Cincinnati and UCLA. Dana Altman is now in his 33rd season as a head coach on the opposite bench, and he has an all-time record of 707-363 with 15 NCAA tournament appearances and one Final Four berth across stints at Marshall, Kansas State, Creighton and Oregon.
UCLA is 90-38 all-time against Oregon, but the Bruins are 4-8 in the last 12 head-to-head matchups and 1-6 in their previous seven trips to Eugene.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
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