The level of betting plot surrounding the Friday night showdown in Bloomington, Indiana is highly rated.
Basketball's Blue Blood Indiana and UCLA line up on national television with numerous moving parts.
First, the Hoosiers highlighted their five-game losses, defeating Tom Izzo and 11th Michigan as underdogs in double-digit paths. This prevented Izzo from constantly closing out the legendary Hoosiers coach Bobby Knight.
This could have been Mike Woodson's best coaching job this season. So how does Indiana respond to emotional victory?
Meanwhile, the Bruins have just seen a seven-game winning streak with a narrow loss in Illinois. With the cover, UCLA is 5-2-1 against the spread (ATS) in the last 8 games.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin hasn't written any words about the Big Ten's new travel schedule. Simply put, he hates it. The Bruins are 13-1 at home this season, but are struggling in the 5-6 mark zones in neutral sites and road games.
Despite the trip, I'm rolling with the Bruins as a 1.5-point favorite. I'm not very confident in my ability to make Woodson's Houchier respond professionally from that huge victory. It's a big thing and can probably turn their season around.
However, I support Cronin for what could potentially audition as Woodson's replacement. Crime has a similar rank, but UCLA ranks 11th in defensive efficiency and Hoosiers ranks 58th. If Indiana is as flat as I would expect, then I think we're seeing poor defenses crystallize.
Do you bet on college basketball?
My official play in this section is 24-13. For more analysis, exclusive videos, betting news, in-game alerts, and more, check out the page (onlyplayers.com/pluspost), lolHich is dedicated to New York Post Leader with a 50% discount.
Why trust New York Post Beds?
Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor and currently serves as Chief Content Manager for Players, a sports betting media company. Doug has over 20 years of experience in betting space, including spending 11 years as a host, columnist and betting analyst at ESPN. He is also an unusual personality that recorded success. He finished 14th in 2023, 14th in the Las Vegas Super Contest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in the 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K), and also grabbed the headline with a $297,000 victory. In the 2021 NFL Draft.
