The Round of 16 is here, and it’s shaping up for a sweet weekend of college basketball. We’ll have you covered with our best bets throughout the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. Let’s take a look at our top bets, picks, and predictions for UCLA vs. Gonzaga.
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Sweet 16 Best Bets: UCLA vs. Gonzaga
UCLA vs. Gonzaga
Game Picks
This could end up being the best game of the tournament, with my only question for UCLA being, can they sustain with all the injuries they've had to this point? The squad currently has a damaged roster, although David Singleton is anticipated to play despite an ankle injury. The team is starting to find more significant minutes from players, so they can at least go seven deep.
No matter what they do, UCLA must avoid getting into a shootout with Gonzaga, a type of game they will almost certainly lose.
The Bruin offense has no trouble keeping up, but the club is 0-3 when it surrenders more than 73 points. With the top-scoring assault in the country, Gonzaga has only missed 73 points four times this season.
While I took UCLA most of the regular season, I think a healthier, better-coached Gonzaga team gets it done here.
The pick: Gonzaga +2 (-110)
Same Game Parlay Picks
Leg 1 - Adem Bona +10 Points (+255)
Unfortunately, the main topic around the Bruins has been how severely shorthanded they have been. DPOY Pac-12 standout big man Adem Bona missed Round 1 and wasn't fully healthy when he participated in Round 2, Jaylen Clark is out with an Achilles injury sustained in the regular season's final game, and David Singleton, a fifth-year wing, also suffered an ankle injury against Northwestern but is expected to play.
In a game they need him desperately, I like for Bona to show out in this one.
Leg 2 - Gonzaga (+105)
With a relatively difficult start to the year, the Gonzaga Bulldogs were written off as not being up to par this season. Early in the season, the Zags' chances were dampened by defeats to Texas, Purdue, and Baylor in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
Given that all three teams received a Top 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, those losses weren't all that bad in the end, but the margin of defeat (19 points against the Longhorns and 18 points against the Boilermakers) raised some red flags.
Although to a lesser extent, Mark Few's team largely did what it usually does in WCC play: dominate. Normally, the Zags cruise through their league rivals with ease, but a puzzling loss to Loyola Marymount in the middle of January gave early warning flags some credence. Early in January, a defeat to Saint Mary's raised questions about whether Gonzaga would maintain its hegemony.
After their first setback to Saint Mary's, the Zags turned things around, winning seven straight games to end the regular season and two more in the conference tournament to capture both the regular season and tournament crowns for the WCC.
In this tournament, the Zags gained control of the game against Grand Canyon in Round 1 after a sluggish start, winning 82-70. Similar to this, Gonzaga trailed TCU 38-33 in the second round before exploding in the second half to defeat them 84-81.
The UCLA Bruins, who dominated the regular season with an 18-2 record, were by far the best team in the Pac-12 this year. Even though the Bruins were severely shorthanded for the game against Arizona, Mick Cronin's team would lose to them in the Pac-12 championship.
The Bruins defeated UNC Asheville with enthusiasm in an 86-53 victory, putting forth the best performance of any team in Round 1. Then, in a game that had a competitive second half but eventually had a rather decisive last few minutes, they upset Northwestern 68-63.
Parlay Odds: +950
Player Prop Bet Picks
Gonzaga
| Prop | Odds | Units | To Win | Book |
| Julian Strawther Over 5.5 Rebounds | 110 | 1 | 1.1 | DK |
UCLA
| Prop | Odds | Units | To Win | Book |
| Amari Bailey Under 1.5 3Ps | 107 | 1 | 1.07 | UB |
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