UCLA vs. Marquette: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds

An issue with the team flight caused the Bruins to make an unexpected landing in Denver, and now their game against the Golden Eagles has been pushed back a few hours to make up for the travel fiasco.

WHO: UCLA vs. Marquette

DATE: Saturday, Dec. 11

TIME: 6:30 p.m. PT

LOCATION: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

TV: FS2 – Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst)

STREAMING: fuboTV – Get 7-day Free Trial

RADIO: AM 570, Sirius Ch. 138, XM Ch. 197, SXM App 959 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)

SPREAD: UCLA -7 (-110), Marquette +7 (-110)*

MONEY LINE: UCLA (-300), Marquette (+240)*

OVER/UNDER: O 148.5 (-110), U 148.5 (-110)*

UCLA is the No. 4 team in the country according to both the AP and Coaches Polls, moving up from No. 5 after beating Colorado on Dec. 1. Marquette did not earn any points in either poll, but had been in the receiving votes section for the past few weeks.

The latest KenPom ratings have the Bruins at No. 8 and Golden Eagles at No. 73, while the NET Rankings slot UCLA in at No. 30 and Marquette at No. 60.

The Bruins went 22-10 last season, including a 5-5 record on the road. Dating back to the start of the 2017-2018 season, they are 17-24 on the road. UCLA finished off last season by making a run from the First Four to the Final Four, narrowly losing to then-undefeated Gonzaga on a buzzer-beater in overtime.

The Golden Eagles went 13-14 last season, including a 7-7 record at home. Over the past three-plus seasons, they are 41-13 at home. Marquette missed the NCAA tournament last year and fired coach Steve Wojciechowski as a result.

UCLA is off to a 7-1 start to this season, losing to No. 1 Gonzaga after opening the season 5-0, then recovering with a road win over UNLV and a home win against Colorado. Their most recent game against Washington scheduled for Dec. 5 was canceled due to COVID-19 issues in the Huskies' program. The Bruins are averaging 73.7 points per game and allowing 59.3.

Marquette is 8-2 so far in 2021, also starting 5-0 with a home in over then-No. 10 Illinois and neutral site wins over Ole Miss and West Virginia. They lost their last two ranked games to St. Bonaventure and Wisconsin, but recovered to beat Kansas State on the road on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles are averaging 74.7 points per game and allowing 69.8.

The Bruins opened the year with all five starters and the whole bench returning from last year's Final Four team, but reserve big man Mac Etienne suffered a season-ending right knee injury in practice and forward Cody Riley sprained his left knee Nov. 9 and has been out ever since. Coach Mick Cronin said Thursday that Riley could possibly return in time for Saturday's game, and that Riley has been in and out of practice over the past week.

Leading scorers Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jules Bernard and Tyger Campbell all returned to carry the load, with Jaylen Clark, David Singleton and Jake Kyman still coming off the bench, Rutgers center Myles Johnson transferring in during the offseason and five-star freshman wing Peyton Watson joining the fray as well.

Juzang is the top scorer so far this season with 17.1 points per game, while Bernard and Jaquez are averaging 14.0 and 13.6 a night, respectively.

Forward Justyn Lewis is Marquette's leading scorer and rebounder so far this year at 15.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in his second year with the program. Senior guard Darryl Morsell is the only other Golden Eagle scoring in double figures at 14.1 points per game, but they do boast seven players averaging 5.0 or more – the same number as the Bruins.

Cronin is now in his 19th season as a head coach, and he has an all-time record of 413-194 with 12 NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Murray State, Cincinnati and UCLA. Shaka Smart is in his 13th year as a head coach and first in Milwuakee, boasting an all-time record of 280-144 with eight NCAA tournament appearances across stints at VCU, Texas and now Marquette.

UCLA is 3-0 against Marquette head-to-head, winning last year's matchup in Westwood 69-60. Before that modern revival, the Bruins and Golden Eagles last came face-to-face in 1949 and 1964. Cronin went 3-4 against Marquette during his time at Cincinnati, but won three of the last four.

*Odds via SI Sportsbook

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