Both the UCLA Bruins and the Tennessee Volunteers coasted through the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Now, these two historic programs will face off in the second round of March Madness with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Tennessee should have a bit of homecourt advantage playing just a state over in Kentucky, but a late tip-off could be problematic for the Volunteers. UCLA's fan base should travel well, as the Bruins are a confident group that seems to be playing their best basketball at the right time.
How to watch UCLA vs. Tennessee
- Date: Saturday, March 22
- Time: 9:40 p.m. EST
- Venue: Rupp Arena (Lexington, KY)
- How to Watch (TV): TBS/TruTV
- Streaming: Fubo TV
- UCLA record: 23-10
- Tennessee record: 28-7
UCLA vs. Tennessee odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- UCLA +172
- Tennessee -210
Spread
- UCLA +4.5 (-102)
- Tennessee -4.5 (-120)
Total
- 131.5 (over -115/under -105)
UCLA injury report
- N/A
Tennessee injury report
- N/A
UCLA and Tennessee series history
- UCLA all-time record vs. Tennesee: 1-0
UCLA vs. Tennessee prediction
While both of these teams are playing some of their best basketball right now, beating Tennessee is going to be an uphill battle for UCLA. The Volunteers boast a duo of All-Americans in Zakai Ziegler and Chaz Lanier, whereas the Bruins only had a single player, Tyler Bilodeau, on the All-Big Ten Third-Team. While Eric Dailey, Sebastian Mack, Skyy Clark, and Kobe Johnson are an excellent supporting cast, this Tennessee team is high-powered on both ends of the floor and went through the ringer playing in the SEC this season.
This Tennessee team, led by head coach Rick Barnes, has an impressive 9-5 record against nationally ranked opponents and won 28 games with the fourth-highest strength of schedule in the country. Barnes has more coaching experience in the NCAA Tournament than UCLA's Mick Cronin does, so if things are close, it's easy to give Tennesssee the edge.
UCLA is 5-3 against nationally ranked opponents and has impressive wins against Michigan State, Oregon and Gonzaga on its resume. However, Tennessee is a different beast. I could see this game being close but the Volunteers separating as the game goes on, ending an incredible bounceback season by Cronin and the Bruins.