3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Utah State vs. UCLA

On the opening day of the first round of the 2025 men's college basketball tournament, the No. 10 Utah State Aggies are set to face the No. 7 UCLA Bruins. For the third straight year, Utah State has won 26-plus games and earned a spot in the tourny, and UCLA is looking to make some noise after missing out on the competition last season.

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Utah State vs. UCLA, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Utah State vs. UCLA

Utah State +5.5 (-120)
1st Half Total Points: Over 67.5 (-113)

Considering that I have Utah State mentioned among my favorite potential first-round upsets in the tourney, it only makes sense to take the Aggies to cover the spread versus the Bruins. Keeping things close against a UCLA squad that is 35th in adjusted offensive rating (116.8) and 17th in adjusted defensive rating (95.1) is easier said than done, but Utah State has the offensive firepower to make things interesting.

Despite the Aggies ranking 149th in adjusted defensive rating (105.5), they are 17th in adjusted offensive rating (120.7) and are registering 79.8 points per game. Efficiency and taking care of the basketball are strengths for Utah State as they are logging a 56.0% effective field-goal percentage (Division I average is 50.9%) and just a 13.8% offensive turnover rate (Division I average is 15.1%).

Ahead of the tournament, it's also worth mentioning that the Aggies are 5-3 against the spread (ATS) as underdogs and 6-4 ATS in non-conference games this season.

Even though the Bruins deploy a stout defense, one that surrenders only 65.2 points per game, both of these teams have enough juice on offense to the achieve the over on the first-half total. While Utah State is 47th in first-half points per game (37.7), UCLA is 77th in first-half points per game (36.5).

We've already highlighted how efficient the Aggies are on offense, but the Bruins are also sporting a formidable 52.5% effective field-goal percentage and 35.0% three-point percentage. UCLA is also posting a fantastic 13.7% offensive turnover rate, so assuming these programs can avoid making mental errors early, there should be plenty of shots put up in the opening half.

Skyy Clark 2+ Made Threes (+122)

The Bruins aren't a team that chucks up threes consistently with a 36.0% three-point attempt rate (Division I average is 39.0%), but Skyy Clark leads the team in three-point attempts per game (3.3), and he's knocking down 37.7% of his outside shots.

It's been a tale of two halves for Clark this season as the experienced guard made just 0.8 threes per game on 2.6 three-point attempts per game across his first 16 contests this season.

Comparatively, Clark has converted 1.7 threes per game on 4.1 three-point attempts per game over his last 16 games. On top of that, Clark has hit multiple threes in 8 of his last 15 outings, which comes out to a 53.3% implied probability or -114 implied odds.

Along with how he's been performing recently, Clark should have the green light to shoot from downtown against a Utah State defense that is permitting a 44.4% three-point attempt rate and modest 33.8% three-point percentage.

With the Aggies potentially putting the Bruins in a pace-up spot and 34.7% of the points Utah State allows coming from threes, Clark should have ample opportunities to see the ball go through the net from beyond the arc.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.