Pepperdine vs UCLA gameday prediction

UCLA will play its second game of the year at home versus Pepperdine tonight. Both teams sit at 1-0 on the season as they look to move to 2-0. UCLA enters the game as a 27.5-point favorite which is similar to their 29.5 point odds they had against Eastern Washington. It is a very high odds total considering the way the Bruins played in their opener, but oddsmakers see them getting back on track.

Defense will be the big key in this game. The Bruins did not defend well versus Eastern Washington, and the score might've been different if Eastern Washingoton would've hit their open 3-pointers. The paint was left wide open and for a team that was sevrely undersized, they matched up well and showed the weakness of the Bruins that they need to fix. The team had an emphasis on watching film on the defensive end following their first game of the season.

The offense started to flow really well for the Bruins in the first game. The ball was moving well and not getting so stagnant. Trent Perry who is primed to have a big year hit some key shots and the overall balance was passed around. The team will get a huge boost soon when Eric Dailey Jr. is able to return. He is a versatile forward that can shoot and defend multiple positions, fitting Mick Cronin's system perfectly.

We expect that the Bruins used the off days to get a long and hard reflection of their overall effort and enthusiasm on the defensive end. They know what needs to be done and it needs to be fixed fast, because the schedule will only continue to stiffen up as we move towards Big Ten play. Cronin teams are known for tough and physical defense and film session was grueling.

Prediction: UCLA 87 - Pepperdine 62 (Pepperdine covers +27.5 and under 153.5 points).