Texas Longhorns at UCLA Bruins
Saturday, 12/3/11, 4:30 PM EST, TV: N/A
Opening Point Spread: Texas -1
Current Betting Line: Texas -1.5
Opening Total: 136.5
Current Total: 136.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Texas flies into Southern California on a two-game win streak that includes a 73-57 win over North Texas on Nov. 29. The Longhorns have held their last two opponents to an average of 48.5 points per game on a combined 31.4 percent shooting. On the offensive end, the team is led by junior guard J’Covan Brown, who is averaging 20.3 points and 5.8 rebounds. He will receive help from forward Jonathan Holmes, scoring in double figures in five straight games. Texas is 0-4 ATS this season and the ‘over’ is 3-1 in those contests.
The Longhorns will be meeting up with the Bruins for the fifth time, with the all-time series tied at two wins apiece. Texas scored a 68-64 win as six-point favorites in the last meeting on Dec. 4, 2008. Getting points from the free throw line has been an important part of this team’s success early on, converting 73.2 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe. Brown simply can’t be ignored when the ball is in his hands, earning Big 12 Player of the Week honors twice already this season.
UCLA picked up its second win of the year when registering a 62-39 win over the Pepperdine Waves as 12-point home favorites. The Bruins will be hosting the Longhorns inside the Los Angeles Sports Arena for this particular contest. It’s been a shaky start for a team that was picked to win the Pac-12 Conference, losing four of its first five games. “We can’t keep coming back and trying to come back, it’s difficult to get over that hill,” stated Bruins guard Jerime Anderson. UCLA is 2-4 ATS on the year and the ‘over’ is 3-2 in those contests.
The Bruins have been paced offensively by Anderson, averaging a team-high 11.4 points and shooting 39.1 percent from behind the three-point line. UCLA has been dealing with plenty of team issues early on, with junior forward Reeves Nelson being disciplined early by head coach Ben Howland. He comes in averaging 6.8 points in the team’s first six games. Things will need to change around Westwood quickly, as the program looks to continue moving past its first 1-4 start since the 1987-88 campaign.
Bettors will likely back the Bruins due to their 6-2 ATS mark versus losing road teams, while the Longhorns are 0-7 ATS when facing off against non-conference competition.
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