Indiana Basketball Preview and Picks: Can The Hoosiers Stay Hot At UCLA?

The Hoosiers head out West after picking up their biggest win of the season Tuesday against Purdue.

Indiana Hoosiers coach Darian DeVries against the Purdue Boilermakers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indiana did a lot to help out its NCAA Tournament resume on Tuesday, defeating No. 12 Purdue 72-67 and picking up its first Quad 1 win of the season. The Hoosiers moved to No. 32 in the NET rankings, but still need a few big wins, as all but four teams ranked ahead of them have more Quad 1 victories.

Coach Darian DeVries' team has a tough task on its hands Saturday, taking on a UCLA team that has won five of the last six games to improve to 7-3 in Big Ten play. The Bruins have also continued their undefeated run at home, despite losing starting guard Skyy Clark for the last seven games to a hamstring injury.

Heading into the game, here's a pick against the spread and the over/under, based on the lines from the Draft Kings Sportsbook.

Shootout or low-scoring affair?

Indiana's Tucker DeVries (12) shoots against Purdue at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I said the Hoosiers would have to take and make a ton of 3-pointers to beat Purdue, and they did, going 12-for-33 from beyond the arc in the victory.

But I was wrong thinking that would translate to a high-scoring game and picking the over, as Indiana came away with a 72-67 win and made just 11 2-point field goals. It was certainly one of Indiana's best defensive performances of the season.

So heading into the UCLA game, I'm going with the under. The offense often goes as Tucker DeVries goes, and he's shooting just 26.4% from 3-point range on the road compared to 34.7% at home.

Plus, Bailey and Alexis could have a tough time scoring consistently against Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr. The Hoosiers also may not have point guard Tayton Conerway again due to injury, but that's to be determined.

Mick Cronin's teams are typically better than their 46th ranking in defensive efficiency this season, but they've been better lately. UCLA's last three opponents are averaging 62.6 points per game, which includes Purdue tying its second-lowest total of the season at 67 points.

Picking against the spread

Indiana's Lamar Wilkerson (3) against Purdue at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UCLA seems to have hit its stride in the heart of Big Ten play, with five wins in their last six games. Sure, four of those came against some of the conference's bottom feeders in Maryland, Penn State, Northwestern and Oregon, but the Bruins handled their business with an average margin of victory of 11 points. The other win during that stretch came against No. 4 Purdue, which was 17-1 at the time.

UCLA is also a flawless 12-0 at home, while Indiana is 2-4 on the road, with its only wins coming against below .500 teams in Maryland and Rutgers.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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