UCLA takes on Kentucky in the nightcap of the South regional semifinals, and it should be one of the best matchups of the entire tournament. The Bruins took down Cincinnati in impressive fashion to make it to the next round. The Wildcats knocked off Wichita State in the first weekend again to advance to the Sweet 16. Both teams met earlier this season and UCLA walked away with a 97-92 victory. Tipoff is set for approximately 9:39 PM ET on Friday night and the game will be broadcast on CBS and the March Madness Live app.
No. 3 UCLA (31-4, 17-18 ATS)
The Bruins have been dominant in the first two rounds of the Ncaa Tournament, stomping all over Kent State and then pushing back Cincinnati by double figures. It's been a dominant stretch with the exception of competing against the spread -- they're only 3-5 in the last eight games in that category.
Despite the Bearcats employing one of the nation's best defenses, all five starters for the Bruins reached double figures. Highly-touted Lonzo Ball (14.7 ppg, 7.6 apg) has recorded 33 points in the first two games. Bryce Alford (15.6 ppg) also exploded for 16 points in his previous outing.
No. 2 Kentucky (31-5, 18-17-1 ATS)
The Wildcats carry a 13-game winning streak into the Sweet 16.
Outside of smacking Arkansas in the SEC title game 82-65, Kentucky hasn't been that dominant this postseason. They only took down an overmatched Northern Kentucky by nine points and edged out Wichita State 65-62. The Wildcats will need a little bit more bite to knock off a team that is averaging 90.2 points per game this season.
Edrice Adebayo (13.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg) has had the best showing so far of any Kentucky player with 28 points and rebounds. Malik Monk (20 ppg) still has been limited by his standards in recent games. He's scored 14 or less points in the early rounds of the tournament.
Kentucky opened with a one-point spread, but the line has shifted to UCLA by 1.5 points in most sportsbooks. The total O/U is set at 169 points. The Bruins are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA tournament games as a favorite.
