Rutgers vs. UCLA Picks and Predictions, Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-13, 2-9 Big Ten) and the UCLA Bruins (15-7, 7-4 Big Ten) will meet in a cross country conference matchup on Tuesday night in this Rutgers vs. UCLA prediction. Rutgers just lost on the road 78-75 against USC, but covered the spread as 12.-point underdogs. UCLA just went to two overtimes against Indiana, losing 98-97 as 4-point favorites. Tipoff is set for 9:30 EST and can be found on the Big Ten Network. See below for our Rutgers vs. UCLA prediction, and keep up with all of our best NCAAB Betting Picks!
Rutgers is Ready to Rebuild
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights had two of the top five draft picks in last season's NBA Draft, but have not been able to create momentum in their program. The one-and-done nature of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper did not help, as they left the program, and now the Knights are only 2-9 in league play. The conference is packed with strong teams, including five teams ranked in the top 15, but Rutgers would need to turn things around immediately to have a postseason impact.
In their last game, Rutgers was led by Tariq Francis with 26 points off the bench in their loss against USC. Francis is their top scorer, and is typically a starter as he is averaging 16.7 PPG as a 6'1 junior guard out of Philadelphia. Francis came over from the New Jersey Institute of Technology where he was a big scorer over the past two seasons, and now leads Rutgers in his junior season. Dylan Grant is their only other scorer in double figures, he is a 6'8 sophomore forward getting 11.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG.
Rutgers is currently ranked 146th out of 365 Division I teams according to KenPom. They are 147th in offensive efficiency and 152nd in defensive efficiency. The Scarlet Knights play at a slow pace, ranking 278th in tempo.
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Bruins Battle in Overtime
The UCLA Bruins are coming off a double-overtime battle against the Indiana Hoosiers, which did not end in their favor as they lost in a high scoring shootout by one point. The Bruins are still positioning themselves well for the NCAA Tournament, as the Big Ten Conference figures to get a strong handful of teams in the Big Dance. UCLA has won three of their last four before falling to Indiana in their last outing. In the Indiana game, they were led by Trent Perry with 25 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
Perry is a 6'4 sophomore guard in his second season with the Bruins, he is getting 12.2 PPG after only scoring 3.7 PPG last season as a freshman. Their top scorer this season is Tyler Bilodeau, he is a 6'9 senior forward getting 18.2 PPG and 5.7 RPG in his second season with the team. Bilodeau can score inside and out after starting his career with two seasons at Oregon State. Donovan Dent was part of highly successful teams at New Mexico, he is scoring 13.6 PPG in his final season of college hoops in UCLA.
The Bruins are ranked 39th overall according to KenPom. They are 51st in offensive efficiency and 42nd in defensive efficiency. They play slightly slower than Rutgers, ranking 298th in pace of play.
Key Injuries for Rutgers vs. UCLA:
Rutgers
- None listed
UCLA
- Out: G Skyy Clark (13.5 PPG)
Rutgers vs. UCLA Picks and Predictions
Spread pick for Rutgers vs. UCLA
- Rutgers +13 (5 units)
Rutgers is playing their second game on the West Coast, while UCLA is coming off a battle at home against Indiana. Rutgers just played USC, but they are about to play their second game in California, and are not in a rush for this battle as they slept comfortably in their hotels. Meanwhile, UCLA was in an absolute shootout against Indiana, going to two overtimes and pushing their top players to play heavy minutes. UCLA is without one of their top scoring guards in Clark, and Rutgers has both Francis and Grant healthy for this one. Take the points here.
Take Rutgers to cover.
Over/Under Pick for Rutgers vs. UCLA
- Under 140.5 (4 units)
Rutgers is hoping to keep this game close, which will result in them playing as slowly as possible on offense. The Scarlet Knights are already what 278th in pace of play, but will be looking to play even slower here as they are on the road and outgunned by UCLA. The Bruins play at a slow pace naturally, ranking only 298th in pace of play, and will confidently play at their pace. UCLA is without their scoring guard Clark, which will hurt their overall scoring output, this will be a low scoring game.
Take the under.
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