UCLA vs Northwestern Odds, Spread & Predictions (March 18)

• UCLA takes on Northwestern in round of 32 NCAA Tournament action on Saturday, March 18th
• UCLA are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games
• Check out all the UCLA vs Northwestern odds, picks, and best bets, below

What a round! After 32 thrilling contests, the NCAA tournament is onto the second round. Contenders UCLA (30-5, 18-2 PAC 12) take on Northwestern (22-11, 12-8 Big Ten) in the round of 32 on Saturday, March 18th.

UCLA enters the second round after giving their bunch some run during a 86-53 blowout over UNC Asheville, while the Northwestern Wildcats defeated a game Boise State team 75-67 in the first round.

Set your dials for TNT as this UCLA vs Northwestern battle gets underway at 8:40 pm ET from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.

UCLA vs Northwestern Odds

UCLA enters this matchup as 8-point favorites in Saturday’s college basketball odds and heavy -380 moneyline favorites over Northwestern.  Northwestern comes back as +310 underdogs. The total for UCLA vs Northwestern sits at 127.5.

Odds as of March 17th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Get all of the best March Madness betting promos.

UCLA Betting Trends

Seeing UCLA as large favorites in this second round contest should be no surprise, as the Bruins are third in the odds to win March Madness at +900.

Mick Cronin’s team got contributions from all over against UNC Asheville, as five Bruins scored in double figures.

Only 2 UCLA players have recorded 15+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ steals in a NCAA tournament game

Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Reggie Miller pic.twitter.com/DvRxiX00NN

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 17, 2023

Leading scorer Jaime Jaquez Jr. joined some fine company on Thursday night. The Pac-12 player of the year averaged 17.3 points and 8.2 rebounds this season, and will be a major part of UCLA’s run towards the national championship.

The Bruins are KenPom’s second-ranked team in adjusted efficiency, and the top team in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Pac-12 tournament finalists went undefeated in February and have won 13 of their past 14 games. Crucially for spread bettors, UCLA is 6-2-2 ATS in their last ten contests.

Northwestern Betting Trends

Senior guard Boo Buie filled the basket with 22 points to lead Northwestern over Boise State on Thursday. Buie led the Wildcats to just their second ever appearance in the NCAA tournament this season, putting up 17.3 points per game and 4.5 assists on the season. Northwestern never trailed in the first round, as Chase Audige added 20 points and 6 rebounds for the Wildcats.

We could watch this @booboo_buie shake-and-bake all day 😼

📹: @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/JgT03dXdBP

— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) March 17, 2023

Northwestern finished second in the Big Ten for the first time in nearly 65 years and will aim to keep this magical season going. That being said, the Wildcats could struggle to score against UCLA. Per KenPom, the Northwestern offense scored just 109.6 points per 100 possessions this season, and ranked 100th in the nation. While Northwestern boasts a pair of dynamic scoring guards, putting the ball in the basket will be difficult against the Bruins top-ranked defense.

Intriguingly, Northwestern have covered in the spread in seven of their last ten games.

UCLA vs Northwestern Prediction

While the Wildcats are a battle-tested team, they will be in tough against the Bruins. Defeating UCLA will be an enormous challenge for Northwestern.

UCLA is a bridge too far for Northwestern. Take the Bruins to cruise to victory and advance to their 35th Sweet Sixteen.

UCLA vs Northwestern Pick: UCLA -8 (-110)

March Madness second-round predictions (March 18):

• Furman vs San Diego State Odds, Spread & Predictions
• Duke vs Tennessee Odds & Predictions
• Kansas vs Arkansas Predictions, Odds & Lines
• Missouri vs Princeton Predictions, Odds, & Spread
• Houston vs Auburn Picks, Odds, & Lines
• Penn State vs Texas Odds & Picks

March Madness first-round predictions (March 19):

• UC Santa Barbara vs Baylor Odds, Lines & Predictions
• VCU vs Saint Mary’s Picks & Odds
• Pittsburgh vs Iowa State Odds & Predictions
• Vermont vs Marquette Odds, Lines & Picks
• NC State vs Creighton Predictions, Odds & Spread
• Iona vs UConn Odds & Picks
• Fairleigh Dickinson vs Purdue Picks, Odds & Lines
• FAU vs Memphis Odds, Picks, and Predictions
• Providence vs Kentucky Odds, Spread & Predictions
• Montana State vs Kansas State Odds, Spread & Picks
• Gonzaga vs Grand Canyon Odds, Lines & Predictions