The No. 20 Purdue Boilermakers will be on their home floor when they face the visiting UCLA Bruins on Friday night, the final game before March begins.
Both teams enter with an 11-6 record in the Big Ten, resulting in a three-way tie with the Maryland Terrapins. With a win, the Boilermakers or Bruins would claim sole possession of fourth place with under two weeks to go. Who will come out on top in this pivotal matchup?
Find out below as we break down the spread, total, and money line bets.
UCLA vs. Purdue Betting Preview
All UCLA vs. Purdue odds are from Fanduel Sportsbook and are correct as of Friday, Feb. 28, 2025.
- Spread
Purdue -5.5 - Moneyline
Purdue -225, UCLA +190 - Over/Under
140.5 Points - Game Time
Friday, Feb. 28, 8:00 p.m. ET - Location
Mackey Arena | West Lafayette, Ind. - How To Watch
FOX
UCLA is above-average in terms of covering over the course of the season, with a 16-11-1 overall record ATS. But they’ve been middling in conference play, covering only eight of 17 contests. After a struggling start to Big Ten play, they’ve rebounded, covering four of their last five games.
The Boilermakers have a 15-13 overall and 11-6 conference record ATS — although they haven’t covered in their last three games as part of their four-game losing streak.
The Bruins rank 19th in the country in terms of opposing ppg, giving up only 64.6 ppg. That’s led to 17 of their 28 outings going under the point total, including six of their level. In fact, they haven’t scored over 80 points since Jan. 27.
Purdue is a different story, with 16 of their 28 games going over. Included in that is their 14 home games, which they’ve covered 11 of them. However, their offense has hit a rough patch lately; of their last two games, they’re averaging 62 ppg.
UCLA vs. Purdue CSN Power Rankings Line
Our power rankings are particularly high on the Boilermakers, who are slotted at No. 8 despite losing four in a row. The Bruins are down at No. 46.
Considering that, the line of Purdue -5.5 is probably a tad low. They are at home, where they’ve gone 12-2 this season. A line of just under double digits would likely be the sweet spot here.
Preview for UCLA vs. Purdue
Purdue, once 11-2 in Big Ten play, has dropped their last four games. That puts them in a three-way tie with the Bruins and Terrapins. They’ll be at home on Friday night with a chance to get back in the win column and claim sole possession of fourth place — but UCLA won’t make it easy.
The Bruins have a balanced attack led by forward Tyler Bilodeau, a transfer from Oregon State who’s fit well in head coach Mick Cronin’s offense. He’s totaling 13.9 ppg and 4.4 rpg. Second-leading scorer Eric Dailey Jr. stepped up in UCLA’s last game, scoring 20 points on eight of 15 shooting.
MORE: What’s the Lowest Seed To Ever Win the NCAA Men’s Tournament?
Behind them, four more Bruins average seven or more points, resulting in a rather egalitarian offensive approach. Altogether, they’re a terrific defensive unit, ranking in the top 20 in the country in terms of opposing scoring.
The Boilermakers are far different, with a trio of junior standouts.
It all starts with point guard Braden Smith, who’s second nationally in assists with 8.7 dimes per game while scoring 15.8 ppg on 44.4% shooting from the field.
He’s been instrumental in the rise of forward Trey Kaufman-Renn. The Indiana native averaged just 6.4 ppg last season but has upped that to 19.2 ppg, good for sixth in the conference and a team-high.
Fletcher Loyer, ever confident from deep, round out the big three. He’s adding 13.9 ppg on a blistering 46.7% from beyond the arc.
Outside of those three players, no one averages more than seven points a night.
This game will feature a clash of differentiating styles — it will be intriguing to see how it plays out.
Best Bets and Final Score Prediction
As far as the over/under bet goes, this is a simple numbers play here. UCLA is already a slow-paced team with an excellent defense, resulting in the under being the successful play in 17 of their 28 games.
The fact that — along with the under being correct in six of their last seven outings — they haven’t gone above the 80-point mark since late January is a telling sign. The Bruins simply lack offensive firepower — exactly why the under of 140.5 is a solid play here.
The Boilermakers have gone under in three of their last four games due to poor play offensively. If you think that Purdue won’t enjoy a complete breakthrough game, take the under.
The spread is right in the bad-beat zone. A free throw down the stretch, a late made three-pointer; those are all infuriating things for someone who’s betting the spread.
While the numbers point towards UCLA covering, I’d be willing to vouch that head coach Matt Painter will have his team ready to go on Friday night. Losing four straight games in Big Ten play for a Painter-coached team is hard to believe, but losing five straight is nearly inconceivable.
If the spread does go any higher, I wouldn’t push it. But at Purdue -5.5, it’s a solid bet for even value.
KEEP READING: 2025 ASUN Tournament Betting Preview
I don’t think they’ll blow out the Bruins, but the team from Southern California is completely foreign to Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. UCLA will keep it close, but the Boilermakers will pull away in the last five minutes, snapping their four-game skid.
Picks: Under 140.5 Points, Purdue -5.5
Prediction: Purdue 72, UCLA 63
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
