College Basketball Preview: Maryland Terrapins vs. UCLA Bruins

The 22nd-ranked UCLA Bruins (11-4) aim to make noise in the Big Ten against conference foe Maryland Terrapins (11-4) on Friday, January 10 at 8:00 PM ET at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland. The Bruins are slight favorites on the road with a -5.5 (-120) point spread.

UCLA Bruins Betting Preview

The Bruins are currently on a two-game skid and are 2-3 over their last five games. Their most recent defeat was a 94-75 blowout against the 24th-ranked Michigan Wolverines.

Both halves of basketball were similar for the Bruins, as they allowed the Wolverines to get 47 points each installment. The offense was solid, but their defense greatly suffered here. Sebastian Mack led with 17 points on 46 percent shooting.

They shot 41.7 percent from the field and just 10.0 percent from long range. On defense they allowed the Wolverines to stay hot with 61.5 percent shooting and 53.6 percent from deep. You cannot expect to win on a poor shooting night and have this bad of a defensive effort.

The Bruins are producing 75.9 points a game and making 46.4 percent of their shots. Defensively they have given up 61.5 points a game, which shows they have a favorable spread.

Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview

The Terrapins are also on a two-game skid, but are back at home with a good opportunity ahead of them. Their latest defeat was an 83-79 outing against the ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks.

They had a 45-42 lead to begin the second half, but did not have enough offensive power to carry the momentum. Rodney Rice led with 19 points on 63 percent shooting and had four assists to push along their offense.

Offensively they had a solid performance of 47.5 percent shooting and 42.9 percent from deep. However, their defense allowed the Ducks to stay hot with 51.8 percent shooting and 42.9 percent from three as well.

The Terrapins are averaging 85.5 points per matchup and are shooting 49.4 percent from the field. On defense they have held teams to 63.5 points a game, which shows they have a heavy margin of victory when both ends of the floor are clicking.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The UCLA Bruins vs. Maryland Terrapins betting odds have been brought to you by MyBookie, which currently shows the Terps as 5.5-point favorites. According to market predictions, the Terrapins have a 67.8 percent chance of winning at home.

The Bruins have had some tough losses lately that they arguably should have won. The Terrapins had a good game against the Ducks, but came up short against a team in the top-10. Look for the Terrapins to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Maryland Terrapins -5.5 (+100)