UCLA vs. Colorado: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds
Another conference foe awaits the Bruins up in the mountains, as the blue and gold try to complete the ever-elusive Utah-Colorado road sweep.
WHO: UCLA vs. Colorado
DATE: Saturday, Jan. 22
TIME: 6 p.m. PT
LOCATION: CU Events Center, Boulder, CO
TV: Pac-12 Network – Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst)
STREAMING: fuboTV – Get 7-day Free Trial
RADIO: AM 570, Sirius Ch. 84, XM Ch. 84, SXM App Ch. 84 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SPREAD: UCLA -4 (-118), Colorado +4 (-110)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA (-200), Colorado (+145)*
OVER/UNDER: O 135.5 (-110), U 135.5 (-118)*
UCLA is the No. 9 team in the country according to both the AP and Coaches Polls. Colorado received votes and came in at No. 43 in the preseason AP Poll, but they haven't appeared since.
The latest KenPom ratings have the Bruins at No. 12 and the Buffaloes at No. 83, while the NET Rankings slot UCLA in at No. 20 and Colorado at No. 88.
UCLA has gotten off to a 12-2 start to this season, losing to then-No. 1 Gonzaga after opening the season 5-0, then recovering with a road win over UNLV, a home win against Colorado and a road win over Marquette before a 26-day COVID-19 hiatus. The Bruins returned to action with a 96-78 win over Long Beach State and home, then went up to Cal and beat the Golden Bears 60-52.
The return to play, pursuit of a conference title and journey to a No. 1 seed hit a bump in the road on Jan. 13, though, as UCLA lost to Oregon at home in overtime 84-81, but it got back on track with an 81-65 win over Oregon State on Jan. 15. The next close call came against Utah, which kept things close Thursday night in Salt Lake City before UCLA ultimately pulled out a 63-58 win.
The Bruins are averaging 79.4 points per game and allowing 66.2.
After opening the season with 6-1, Colorado ran into UCLA at its peak earlier this season, then lost again by double digits to Tennessee later in the week. The Buffaloes followed that down period up with five consecutive wins to end nonconference play and start Pac-12 play. Colorado swept the Washington schools, split with the Arizona schools, then lost the first half of hosting the Los Angeles schools when its upset bid versus USC fell short in the final minute.
The Buffaloes are averaging 70.6 points per game and allowing 65.8.
Guard Johnny Juzang is UCLA's top scorer so far this season with 17.9 points per game, while guard Jules Bernard, guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and guard Tyger Campbell are averaging 13.3, 12.8 and 12.1 a night, respectively. Campbell has the most assists per game with 4.4, and center Myles Johnson is leading the team with 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
Forward Jabari Walker and forward Evan Battey are Colorado's leading scorers with 13.1 and 12.2 points per game, while guard Keeshawn Barthelemy is the leading assister at 2.6 dimes per game while also averaging double-digit points. Walker and Battey average 8.5 and 4.7 rebounds a night, respectively, and guard Nique Clifford comes off the bench to provide 6.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game himself.
Senior guard and former Pac-12 All-Defensive Team member Eli Parquet was one of two Buffaloes to break 10 points in their last matchup with the Bruins in December, but he missed Thursday's game versus the Trojans with a lower leg issue.
Outside of being successful in limiting teams on the offensive boards, the Buffaloes are in the middle of the pack or bottom third of the Pac-12 in almost every other major stats.
Cronin is now in his 19th season as a head coach, and he has an all-time record of 418-195 with 12 NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Murray State, Cincinnati and UCLA. Tad Boyle has been a head coach for 15 years with an all-time record of 297-190 and five NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Northern Colorado and Colorado.
UCLA is 15-7 all-time against Colorado, but the Buffaloes have won five of the last nine head-to-head matchups and three of the last four in Boulder.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA men's basketball stories: UCLA Men's Basketball on Sports Illustrated
