The UCLA Bruins are currently on top of the standings in the Pac-12, but they’re far from securing that spot for good. They will look to add more cushion between them and the rest of the conference when they take on the Oregon Ducks at home this coming Thursday. The Ducks are raring to go after taking a loss in their last game.
Oregon must be raring to get back on the court after suffering a 75-64 upset loss at home at the hands of the Oregon State Beavers last Saturday. Oregon struggled mightily on offense against the Beavers, as the Ducks shot 38.9 percent from the field and 27.6 percent from behind the arc. Eugene Omuruyi paced the Ducks in that game with 15 points and nine boards, while Jalen Terry had 13 points. The Ducks were missing a key piece in Chris Duarte, who sat out the contest due to a COVID-19-related issue. It’s unsure as of the moment if Duarte will be able to go play this Thursday, but in any case, the Ducks will look for their offense to get going again. Oregon is averaging 76.0 points per game on 46.6 percent shooting from the floor. The Ducks’ defense is second-best in the conference in terms of adjusted efficiency, as Oregon is allowing just 99.9 points per 100 possessions in Pac-12 play, per KenPom.
The over is 3-0 in Oregon’s last three games overall.
Like Oregon, the Bruins are also coming off an upset loss at the hands of the Stanford Cardinal, 73-72. Before that loss to the Cardinal, UCLA stitched together seven games in a row, with that stretch including victories over the likes of the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats – both on the road. Johnny Juzang had 27 points against Stanford, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 14 points. UCLA is averaging 76.3 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the field. UCLA has a pretty efficient offense, one that is ranked ninth overall in the nation with an average of 115.6 points per 100 possessions. Defensively, UCLA is ranked fourth in the conference with 100.7 points allowed per 100 possessions.
UCLA is 5-5 against the spread in its last 10 games overall.
