The UCLA Bruins and Utah State Aggies face off in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. UCLA is back in the dance after they missed out on a chance to make four straight Sweet 16 appearances last season. Utah State on the other hand is trying to finally overcome their woes in the dance, as they have lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament nine of their past 10 appearances.
Below, we will preview this March Madness college basketball game, giving the UCLA vs Utah State overview, trends and our expert pick! Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
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UCLA vs Utah State Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2025 NCAA Tournament
No. 7 UCLA Bruins (22-10) vs. No. 10 Utah State Aggies (26-7)
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 9:25 PM EST
Venue: Rupp Arena — Lexington, KY
Coverage: TNT
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UCLA vs Utah State March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for UCLA vs Utah State can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: UCLA: (-232) | USU: (+192)
Point Spread: UCLA: -5.5 (-110) | USU: +5.5 (-111)
Total: 144.5 — Over: (-105) | Under: (-115)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| UCLA | 27 | 116.9 (35) | 95.1 (17) | 64.9 (301) |
| Utah State | 54 | 120.6 (17) | 105.7 (151) | 67.5 (160) |
UCLA vs Utah State College Basketball Trends
- UCLA is 3-2 in their last five games.
- Utah State is 2-3 in their last five games.
- UCLA is 9-3 in non-conference play this season.
- Utah State is 11-2 in non-conference play this season.
- UCLA has at least reached in the Sweet 16 in each of their last three NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Utah State lost nine straight first-round games prior to last year’s win over TCU.
UCLA vs Utah State Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
Although UCLA comes into the tournament off of a blowout 86-70 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament, UCLA can beat anybody on any given night. They finished the regular season strong, winning 11 of their last 14 and have key wins over Arizona on the road, Gonzaga and Michigan State. The Bruins have a defense that gives their opponents fits as they are seventh in the nation in steal percentage. They like to move the ball around and shoot at a high level too. If the Bruins get hot, they are more than capable of winning this entire region.
After their red-hot start this season, Utah State slowed down at the end of the year, going 7-5 over their last 12. They are led by the two-headed monster of guards Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev who combine to average over 31 points per game. Don’t be fooled by their leading scorers, they have a deep bench and aren’t afraid to use it. They shoot well from the field but their lackluster free throw shooting (70.3%) could be an issue in a close game.
This game has the potential to be the best game of the first day with both teams possessing some real firepower. This game will be close with UCLA’s disruptive defense, which means this will likely come down to who can consistently hit their free throws.
For our UCLA vs Utah State prediction, we are picking the UCLA Bruins to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
