logo
March Madness: Utah State vs. UCLA odds, picks and predictions

March Madness: Utah State vs. UCLA odds, picks and predictions

USA Today19-03-2025
The No. 10 seed Utah State Aggies (26-7) square off against the No. 7 seed UCLA Bruins (22-10) on Thursday night in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. Tip from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, is scheduled for 9:25 p.m. ET (TNT). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Utah State vs. UCLA odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Utah State's 2-game winning streak was snapped with an 83-72 loss against the Colorado State Rams in the Mountain West semifinal, failing to cover as a 1-point underdog. The Aggies finished third in the conference at 15-5 and are led by G Ian Martinez, who averages 16.8 points per game (PPG).
UCLA had its 2-game winning streak snapped with an 86-70 loss against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten quarterfinals, failing to cover as a 2-point underdog. The Bruins finished sixth in the Big Ten (13-7) and are led by F Tyler Bilodeau who averages 13.6 PPG.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll
THE BRACKETS ARE BACK! The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back! $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket, $25,000 prize for top bracket. Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!
Utah State vs. UCLA odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 6:43 p.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML) : Utah State +195 (bet $100 to win $195) | UCLA -235 (bet $235 to win $100)
: Utah State +195 (bet $100 to win $195) | UCLA -235 (bet $235 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS) : Utah State +5.5 (-110) | UCLA -5.5 (-110)
: Utah State +5.5 (-110) | UCLA -5.5 (-110) Over/Under (O/U): 144.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Can you survive? USA TODAY Sports' Men and Women's Basketball Tournament Survivor Pools are here with a $2,500 prize for each contest! Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!
Utah State vs. UCLA picks and predictions
Prediction
Utah State 77, UCLA 73
BET UTAH STATE (+195).
The Aggies are one of the most efficient shooting teams in the country shooting 49% from the field, which is good for 11th-best. They average nearly 80.9 PPG and pose a real threat against a UCLA team that has scored 73 or fewer points in 6 of its last 7 games and has allowed 76 or more points in 2 of its last 4 contests. Traditionally, the 7-10 matchups cause a lot of havoc and the Bruins have a high chance of being on the wrong end of that on Thursday.
PASS.
The moneyline has the best value on the Aggies.
BET OVER 144.5 (-110).
The Aggies have scored 70 or more points in 8 of their last 10 games while allowing 82 or more points in 3 of their last 5 contests. They have hit the Over in 7 of their last 10.
The Bruins have scored at least 70 points in 6 of their last 9 games, including 3 straight, and have allowed at least 69 points in 3 of their last 4 games. They have hit the Over in each of their last 4 games.
Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now!
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow @seth_orlemann on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Penn State QB Drew Allar facing pressure of high expectations in 2025
Penn State QB Drew Allar facing pressure of high expectations in 2025

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Penn State QB Drew Allar facing pressure of high expectations in 2025

The Penn State Nittany Lions are coming off one of the most successful seasons under head coach James Franklin and will enter the 2025 season with high expectations placed upon them. After a shot at a Big Ten title and a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, Penn State should be hungry to take the next step and bring home some championship gold in the 2025 season, and the pieces are in place for that level of success. Of course, a lot of that relies on the performance of Penn State's best players on the roster in the biggest spotlight opportunities. Starting quarterback Drew Allar enters his third season leading the Penn State offense, and he has been one to have some ups and downs in the position. Allar's numbers tend to be good, but they could be better in the toughest matchups against teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and Oregon. Armed with an NFL-caliber arm and a new wid erecweiveing corp from the transfer portal, and one of the Big Ten's best offensive lines and running back stables behind him, Allar will face some pressure to get this Penn State team to take the next elusive step toward being a national championship contender, if not a favorite. Here is a look at one of the biggest pieces of Penn State's 2025 season, the starting quarterback. 2024 in review Drew Allar improved on his overall stats and efficiency in 2024 compared to his first season as Penn State's starting quarterback in 2023. Allar had one fewer touchdown pass thrown in the 2024 season despite playing in more games during Penn State's postseason run, but his completion percentage increased, as well as his total passing yards. This is despite not really having a strong connection with his wide receivers all season long. Allar was reliant on All-American tight end Tyler Warren, as any quarterback should have been, and he did take advantage of some opportunities with receivers at times, but the season ended without a single completion to a wide receiver in Penn State's College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Allar's biggest blemishes came in the biggest spotlight, unfortunately, with a bad interception in the Big Ten championship essentially gifting Oregon a touchdown from the one-yard line and setting up Penn State's fate in the playoff, leading to a game-winning field goal by Notre Dame. For the season, Allar completed 66.5% of his passes, but he was below 60% in each of Penn State's four postseason games, including the Big Ten championship game and three College Football Playoff games. Biggest question in 2025 Drew Allar will face some tough questions in the 2025 season. The first is how he comes back after the way last season ended. But the biggest question will be how effective Allar is with his new wide receiving corp. Penn State added some experienced wide receivers to the roster from the transfer portal, each with good stats at their previous schools. Allar will need to get in rhythm with his new receiving targets and establish a new trust in his tight ends under the leadership of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who is in his second season with the Nittany Lions, calling the plays for the offense. 2025 will be a success if... Simply put, if Drew Allar is connecting with his wide receivers far more frequently and effectively this season, Penn State should be in great shape for another fun postseason run. With all of the other ingredients in place for a solid offense, the difference maker will be Allar continuing to improve his game and use his receivers with bigger and more consistent results in the passing game. 2025 will be a disappointment if... If Allar does not put up better numbers in the biggest games on the schedule, then Penn State will likely suffered a similar disappointing fate at the end of the year. To his credit, Allar had some good numbers against Orgeon in the Big Ten championship, but his two interceptions didn't help the cause, and his untimely interception against Notre Dame was a sting that would carry over into the offseason. Allar was also without a touchdown in the game against eventual national champion Ohio State last season, a 20-13 setback at home. If Allar comes out without a win against Ohio State and Oregon again, and takes an early exit in the postseason, this will be a disappointing end result. Realistic outlook for 2025 We should be about to see the best Drew Allar has to offer. In his second season under innovative offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and with a new trio of wide receivers to trust, Allar should have a chance for another 3,000-yard season with 25 touchdowns en route to another playoff run that could include another shot at a Big Ten title. Allar could cut down on his interception total of eight last season as well. Allar should play well enough to put up the kind of numbers that will continue to keep him on the radar as a potential first-round NFL draft pick in 2026. Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Best is still to come for Penn State QB Drew Allar in 2025

Penn State Top 25 Players for 2025, RB Nick Singleton
Penn State Top 25 Players for 2025, RB Nick Singleton

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Penn State Top 25 Players for 2025, RB Nick Singleton

In a year where parity came to the forefront in the college football landscape, Penn State made the most of its opportunity. In an expanded 12-team format, Penn State was able to sneak into the CFP as the third-best team in the Big Ten. With major improvements on both sides of the ball, they made major strides to achieve this goal. However, the path ahead in 2025 is going to be much trickier to navigate for this iteration of the Nittany Lions. After a disappointing CFP semifinal exit against Notre Dame, it was expected that a large portion of Penn State's core would depart the program. However, that was not the case, and several key players on both sides of the ball decided to run it back and have another go at winning a championship. For them, it means everything. Combined with the continuity of Andy Kotelnicki as the OC and the arrival of Jim Knowles to helm the defense, Penn State will be looking to finally get the championship monkey off their back. Nittany Lions Wire will be taking a deeper look at the top 25 players on the 2025 roster, in no specific order, going into the 2025 season. Today we will take a look at one of the starting running backs on the roster, Nicholas Singleton. 2024 in Review To say that Nicholas Singleton was a vital aspect of the Nittany Lions' offense is an understatement. Coming off of a sophomore season in which he earned all All-Big Ten third team nod, expectations for his growth were lofty. Plus, paired with Kaytron Allen in the backfield, it felt like destiny for these two players to have break through campaigns, especially Singleton. And break through he did. In a stellar junior season, Singleton had 172 carries for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns, whilst adding 41 catches, 375 yards and 5 touchdowns receiving. To top it all off, he even returned kicks, with a long of 66 yards. His stats in the Big Ten also stood out, ranking first in all-purpose yardage with 1,805 and fourth in yards per carry, at 6.3. When you combine these stats with Allen's and consider that they were one of two duos to each have 1,00 rushing yards in the FBS, it is even more impressive. You can say that Singleton certainly got the job done in many respects. One of his best all around games in the season opener against West Virginia, where he went for 114 yards on just 13 carries. He added 56 return yards for a total of 183 all-purposes yards for a triumphant all-around performance for his squad. Penn State fans will be ecstatic if these kinds of performances continue from their lead back. Biggest Question for 2025 The biggest question for Nicholas Singleton is also for the whole team as well: Can his return, as well as Allar's and Allen's offensively, combined with their transfer portal additions, finally get them over the hump? Anything short of a championship in Happy Valley will be viewed as a disappointment. After all, returning for that singular purpose will hurt even more without a championship to remember. However, a more personal question pertaining to Singleton alone is how much of a role he will continue to have with new receivers to work into the offense for Allar. One thing that may have held Penn State back was their lack of offensive production from the wide receiver position. Thus, it wouldn't be ludicrous if throughout the season, as Hudson, Ross, and Pena get worked into the offense, that Singleton's role will get diminished. How he responds will be huge, because his presence alone can change any game he's in. If Singleton continues to be his usual self, a smaller role may not be a problem for him. Look for him to maybe be more effective as a pass-catching back in short-yardage situations while picking up crucial yardages as a physical back in short-yardage situations. 2025 will be a success if... Nicholas Singleton simply has to continue to complement Allen and Allar in the backfield in whatever role is required of him. Chances are at leas one of the receivers Penn State added in the portal will be effective, but that does not mean Singleton can take his foot off the gas. There are no easy wins in the Big Ten and Penn State will need all of their offensive weapons in sync to truly click on the field in tough games. They get Oregon at home in Week 4, but must travel to Ohio State smack dab in the middle of the season. Tough tests on the road against Iowa and UCLA also await, so even if Singleton is not the focal point of the offense, he can still be the difference in some of their more daunting games. The bottom line for Singleton is he can ill-afford to phone it in as he is one of the returning leaders for this squad. Whether it be on or off the field, Singleton will succeed if he continues to make his presence felt. Some new additions to the squad will almost certainly be able to feed off his energy should he maintain a championship mentality. His teammates should expect nothing less from him anyway. 2025 will be a disappointment if.. Somehow both Singleton and Allen regress, or in diminished roles, they cannot affect the game like we were accustomed to seeing them do in 2024. Should this happen, Penn State fans might be in for a long and frustrating campaign not unlike several others almost a decade ago. Most importantly, Singleton can't just do it against the cupcakes. He must prove he can consistently perform against the game's elite. Otherwise, his return to Happy Valley will just be for naught. You can bet your bottom dollar that Andy Kotelnicki will find ways for Singleton to continue to affect the game while also focusing on the passing attack. Maybe working him into short-yardage packages could see him wear down opposing defenses more, thus opening up new avenues for the passing game. Should this fail to happen however, then Singleton might be in for a huge regression that could negatively impact the Nittany Lions this year. Realistic Outlook for 2025 If all things go as planned, there should be no reason to believe there will be a significant fall-off from Nicholas Singleton this year. After all, the return of Allen gives the Nittany Lions the best RB tandem in the nation and if Allar continues to show his maturity can carry over, then the Penn State backfield is the least of this teams' worries. It is the lofty championship expectations placed on this team's shoulders that should give Penn State fans pause. While Singleton's return signals that he is all in for a championship, it will be unacceptable if his play falters and Penn State don't achieve it. The onus is well and truly on for the Nittany Lions, and especially a player of Singleton's caliber, to continue their ascent up the Big Ten pecking order. This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State Top 25 Players for 2025, RB Nick Singleton

What to know about the Oregon Ducks in 2025
What to know about the Oregon Ducks in 2025

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

What to know about the Oregon Ducks in 2025

With Dan Lanning paving the way, Oregon is entering an era of NIL-fueled success, taking the program to new heights with strong recruiting and on-field performance. Lanning dove headfirst into the transfer portal and hit the recruiting trail hard to reload for 2024, replacing a slew of departed stars. Now, with more holes to fill from last season's roster, Lanning's banking on another group of newcomers to keep the Ducks flying high. Here's where Oregon stands as the 2025 season creeps closer. 2024 in review Lanning's third year in Eugene was special. The Ducks racked up 12 regular season wins - their best showing since 2010 - snagged a Big Ten title and punched a ticket to the College Football Playoff. They earned the No. 1 overall seed before coming up short in a rematch against Ohio State. Even with a brutal Big Ten slate, Lanning had Oregon looking like a national contender up until the end. Head coach profile Lanning's got a fiery edge, and he's built Oregon into a machine. In three years with the Ducks, he's 35-6, mixing a high-octane offense with a defense that hits like a freight train. His 'stay hungry' mantra has Eugene buzzing with dreams of a title, and he's got the financial backing from megabooster Phil Knight to get there. Before he traveled west, he was calling defenses at Georgia, helping them lock up national championships in 2021 and 2022. Top offensive players Offensive linemen Isaiah World and Emmanuel Pregnon, who transferred in from Nevada and USC, respectively, will anchor the left side of the offensive line and both have All-Big Ten potential. World is viewed as a first-round talent and has three seasons of starting experience, while Pregnon didn't allow a sack while starting all 13 games for the Trojans last season. Top defensive players Edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei returns for his junior season after recording 38 tackles and a whopping 10.5 sacks in 2024. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, Uiagalelei is a physical freak with first-round draft potential. Additionally, transfer safety Dillon Thieneman arrives from Purdue after back-to-back 100-tackle seasons to start his college career. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 1 safety transfer of the cycle and he's another player with first-round potential. 2025 schedule Aug. 30 vs. Montana State Sept. 6 vs. Oklahoma State Sept. 13 at Northwestern Sept. 20 vs. Oregon State Sept. 27 at Penn State Oct. 11 vs. Indiana Oct. 18 at Rutgers Oct. 25 vs. Wisconsin Nov. 8 at Iowa Nov. 14 (Fri.) vs. Minnesota Nov. 22 vs. USC Nov. 29 at Washington Oregon's September trip to Penn State has game-of-the-year potential, pitting two projected top-five teams against each other in a prime-time White Out. The Ducks haven't played in Beaver Stadium since 1964 (the stadium has changed quite a bit since), and with Penn State's nasty defense going up against the Ducks' explosive offense, it'll make for a highly anticipated rematch of last year's conference title game, which both teams will be trying to return to this season. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Scouting the Oregon Ducks ahead of 2025

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store