Two Pac-12 teams looking to pull out of February nose dives will meet on Thursday night in Los Angeles when Washington State meets UCLA. One team will get its wish, while the other will continue to try to turn around a season gone rocky. Which team is the right NCAAB pick?
Washington State has lost three straight, including one to 8-15 Arizona State. The Cougars are now 14-10 and looking to stay above water in the conference, at 7-6, good for sixth place in the Pac-12, percentage points out of the eighth.
UCLA has lost three of four, including one to those same 8-15 ASU Sun Devils, in triple overtime. The Bruins are now 17-5, 9-4 in the league, and in fourth place. UCLA is a half-game out of second but needs to keep its head on a swivel, with fifth-place Washington a game back and looking to take that fourth bye in the approaching Pac-12 Tournament from the Bruins.
Washington State Cougars vs. UCLA Bruins
Thursday, February 17, 2022 – 11:00 PM EST at Pauley Pavilion
Tough Stretch Ahead, and Behind
Twelve days ago, Washington State was riding a five-game winning streak and looking to improve NCAA Tournament seeding in the final month of the regular season.
Then the team hit the meat of the Pac-12 schedule. After not playing a Quad I team since, before Christmas, the Cougars had two in five days, against Arizona and at Oregon. In between was the clunker against ASU.
Wazzu acquitted itself well, losing by 12 to an Arizona team that had been beating Pac-12 foes by an average of 17.5, then dropping back-to-back three-point decisions. But all three went into the loss column.
Now another tough stretch looms with back-to-back road games at UCLA and USC, both in the top four in the league, followed by back-to-back games against in-state rival Washington.
“These are meaningful, pressure-filled games,” said coach Kyle Smith. “Being in the hunt, it’s part of it. You want to get to the other side, but there are lessons to be learned.”
Washington State will need to pull out of its shooting slump. The Cougars have hit just .362 on two-point shot attempts in the last four games, more than 110 points below its season mark. They’ve also shot just 26-of-98, .265, from three in the last three games. That comes after a three-game stretch where Wazzu knocked down .444 from three.
Washington State should have its defense to fall back on. The Cougars are among the nation’s leaders in two and three-point defense, blocked shot and turnover rate, overall defensive efficiency, and they play at a slow pace, dropping the tempo and clogging things up.
VIDEO PICKS: Watch BMR's Free Expert Sports Betting Picks of the Day
Chemistry Test
UCLA had also been cruising at the end of January, winning six straight to end the month. The team has had a number of absences, however, which have forced it to play short-handed and messed with the Bruins’ chemistry.
Leading scorer Johnny Juzang started the stretch, missing the last two games of January due to COVID protocols. When he returned, second banana Jaime Jaquez Jr. began his struggles with injuries to both ankles.
“He’s very limited,” said coach Mick Cronin. “Yesterday, he didn’t practice, he’s just on the bike and does shooting, so we’re limiting him as much as possible. It’s a day-to-day decision with Jaime.”
Peyton Watson also missed two games with a knee injury. “He had a great practice yesterday, so hopefully he can get back to the progress he was making, but the knee injury definitely slowed him,” said Cronin.
Jaylen Clark also missed time with a concussion. All three are expected to play on Thursday, but the team is still getting back on track after spending three weeks with a constantly shifting lineup for games and practices.
The Pick
The shots should begin falling again for Washington State, and against a UCLA defense that only ranks No. 140 in the country from three, seems like a good place to start. Meanwhile, the Cougars’ tempo and defense should keep a UCLA offense struggling to gel from finding its footing. It might not be enough to spring an upset, but it will be tight. Take Washington State for your best bets.
NCAAB Pick: Washington State +8.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
