UCLA Bruins at Stanford Cardinal
Saturday, February 16, 2013, 4:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN2
Maples Pavilion – Stanford, California
Opening Line: Stanford -4 1/2
Current Line: Stanford -4 1/2
Opening Total: 141 1/2
Current Total: 141 1/2
Opening Money Line: Stanford -190 / UCLA +160
Current Money Line: Stanford -190 / UCLA +160
Parity controls the Pac 12, as 8 teams are within 3 games of first place. Oregon leads the conference with a 9-3 record by a game over 8-4 Arizona and UCLA. Four teams are 7-5, and Stanford is 6-6. Even 5-7 Washington has an outside shot of winning the conference title. The 18-7 UCLA Bruins travel top the 15-10 Stanford Cardinal Saturday afternoon.
UCLA leads the series 137-91 against Stanford. The Bruins have won 8 of the last 10 games in the series, including 68-60 last month in LA. In that game, UCLA had a 15 point lead with 6:33 left. Stanford pulled to within 5 points with 47seconds left. However, the Cardinal missed the front end of 3 straight one and ones, and UCLA made 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch. That was the difference in the 8 point win.
UCLA is coached by Ben Howland. The Bruins have losses to Georgetown in Brooklyn, at home against Cal Poly and Oregon, to San Diego St in Anaheim, at Arizona St and Cal Thursday night 76-63 and at home to USC in overtime. The Bruins have key wins over Indiana St, UC-Irvine, James Madison, Georgia in Brooklyn, Texas in Houston, Long Beach St, Fresno St, Missouri, Cal, Stanford, Oregon St, Washington St, and Washington and at Utah, Colorado and Arizona St. UCLA is 9-15 ATS and the total is 8-10 this season.
UCLA is outscoring teams 76-69 this season. The Bruins are #30 in scoring. UCLA is #53 in field goal percentage at 46.1% from the field and shoot 33.3% from 3 point range. UCLA makes 71.1% of their free throws. The Bruins average 37.2 rebounds and give up 34.8 per game. Bruin opponents are shooting 42.1% from the field and 31.0% from 3 point range. UCLA averages 17 assists, 8 steals, 4 blocks, and 11 turnovers per game.
Guard/forward Shabazz Muhammad averages 18.2 points, and 5.2 rebounds a game. The freshman missed the first 3 games of the season due to being ineligible, but has been sensational since then. Guard Jordan Adams averages 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2 steals per game. Forward Travis Wear averages 12 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Guard Kyle Anderson averages 9.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 steals. Forward David Wear averages 7 points, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Guard Norman Powell averages 6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Guard Larry Drew II averages 6.7 points, 7.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Guard Nick Kazemi hasn’t played yet this season, and is out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Stanford is coached by Johnny Dawkins. The Cardinal have home losses to Belmont and Washington, USC Thursday 65-64, against Missouri and Minnesota in a tournament in the Bahamas, and road losses at North Carolina St, USC, UCLA, Colorado, and Arizona. Stanford has key wins over San Francisco (in Oakland), CS-Fullerton, Northern Iowa in the Bahamas, at Northwestern, Washington St, Cal, at Utah, Oregon, Oregon St, and at Arizona St. The Cardinal are 10-12-1 ATS and the total is 8-8 this season.
Stanford is outscoring teams 70-64. The Cardinal are shooting 41.4% from the field and 34.8% from 3 point range. Stanford makes 72.8% of their free throws. The Cardinal average 37 rebounds per game, and give up 31.6 per game. Stanford opponents are shooting 41.2% from the field and 33.6% from 3 point range. The Cardinal average 12 assists, 6 steals, 4 blocks, and 12 turnovers per game.
Forward Dwight Powell averages 15.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks. Guard Chasson Randle averages 13.7 points, 3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Forward Josh Huestis averages 10.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and an assist. Guard Aaron Bright averages 8.2 points and 3.2 assists per game. Andy Brown and John Gage average 5.8 points per game. Rosco Allen, Robbie Lemons, Christian Sanders, and Gabriel Harris make up the rest of the rotation. Forward Anthony Brown is out for the season with a leg injury.
UCLA is 2-6 ATS in road games, and against teams with winning home records, 1-4 overall, and in Pac 12 games, and 1-5 against teams with winning records. The Bruins have covered the last 5 times against Stanford, and are 3-1-1 ATS at Stanford. The over is 11-4 in the last 15 in this series, including 6-2 in Stanford.
Stanford is 4-0 ATS after a win and a cover, and 30-14 against teams with winning road records. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 in this series.
There is really no dominant team in the Pac 12, and any team in the conference can beat any other team on a given day. It makes for some exciting games, but it also makes it hard to handicap this conference. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses. I like Stanford to win at home, but it will be close.
