The Tennessee Volunteers and UCLA Bruins face off in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Tennessee and UCLA both waltzed past their first-round opponents. However, Tennessee vs UCLA presents a much tougher task for both teams to get back to the Sweet 16.
Below, we will preview this March Madness college basketball game, giving the Tennessee vs UCLA overview, trends and our expert pick! Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
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Tennessee vs UCLA Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2025 NCAA Tournament
No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers (28-7) vs. No. 7 UCLA Bruins (23-10)
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Time: 9:40 PM EST
Venue: Rupp Arena — Lexington, KY
Coverage: TBS/TruTV
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Tennessee vs UCLA March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Tennessee vs UCLA can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: TENN: (-220) | UCLA: (+180)
Point Spread: TENN: -5.5 (-105) | UCLA: +5.5 (-115)
Total: 132.5 — Over: (-105) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Tennessee | 5 | 120.3 (17) | 89.6 (3) | 63.7 (346) |
| UCLA | 22 | 117.1 (35) | 94.1 (15) | 64.8 (312) |
Tennessee vs UCLA College Basketball Trends
- Tennessee is 4-1 in its last five games.
- UCLA is 3-2 in its last five games.
- Tennessee is 16-1 in non-conference play this season.
- UCLA is 10-3 in non-conference play this season.
- Tennessee has reached the Sweet 16 in its last two NCAA Tournament appearances.
- UCLA has at least reached in the Sweet 16 in each of its last three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Tennessee vs UCLA Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
If you want a chance to beat Tennessee, you have to stop Chaz Lanier who averages 18 points per game. If he’s able to find the bottom of the net, you’ll have a long night. While he’s their top scorer, guard Zakai Ziegler is undoubtedly this team’s sparkplug. The senior has been on a tear since the SEC Tournament. Ziegler averaged over 20 points, three rebounds, and six assists in three SEC Tournament games along with a 12-point and 12-assist performance against Wofford in the first round.
The Volunteers have two incredible playmakers on offense but also have one of the best defenses in the entire country. UCLA will try to attack this defense with their three-point shooting. Three players shoot 38% or better from behind the arc and as a team made 10/24 (41.7%) threes against Utah State. The Bruins may not have the elite scorers and playmakers that the Volunteers have, but they do have a lot of guys who play sizable roles and rotate frequently.
For our Tennessee vs UCLA prediction, we are picking the Tennessee Volunteers to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
