The Gonzaga Bulldogs and the UCLA Bruins will be going face to face again in the NCAA tournament, this time in the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2023 edition of the Big Dance. Check out our preview of this Gonzaga vs UCLA matchup in the 2023 March Madness. There are more college basketball previews to read here at TopBet, so feel free to look around and make bets on the NCAA tournament once you’re ready.
Drew Timme was not going to let his college career end in the second round of the 2023 NCAA tournament, as he muscled out a total of 28 points with eight rebounds in Gonzaga’s 84-81 win over the TCU Horned Frogs. The Bulldogs’ offense is still operating just fine in the Big Dance, having scored at least 81 points in each of their two games so far in the tournament. UCLA’s defense is clearly going to be harder to crack for the Bulldogs, but the Bruins might also be not at their full strength due to injuries. Mark Few’s team remains the highest scoring in the nation with an average of 86.3 points per game on 52 percent shooting from the field – also tops in the country.
The total has hit the Over in nine of Gonzaga’s last 12 games.
The Bruins are eager to avenge their loss in the Final Four round a couple of years ago to Gonzaga. They will finally get that chance this coming Thursday after outlasting the Northwestern Wildcats in the second round, 68-63. Jaime Jaquez spearheaded the Bruins in that game with 24 points on 11/19 shooting, while Amari Bailey had 14 points and six assists. UCLA is not going to score a ton, but it can take advantage of leaky defenses, too. The Bruins are averaging 74.1 points per game this season. They are also 21st nationally with 115.5 points per 100 possessions adjusted.
UCLA is 4-1-1 against the spread in its last six games after a win.
