UCLA vs. Pepperdine: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds
After falling to a pair of ranked teams in the Continental Tire Main Event, the Bruins will get back to traditional nonconference play against a surging local opponent.
WHO: UCLA vs. Pepperdine
DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 23
TIME: 7:30 p.m. PT
LOCATION: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
TV: Pac-12 Network – J.B. Long (play-by-play), Don MacLean (analyst)
STREAMING: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
RADIO: AM 1150, Sirius Ch. 84, SXM App 84 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SPREAD: UCLA -15 (-118), Pepperdine +15 (-110)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA -1786, Pepperdine +800
OVER/UNDER: O 150.5 (-110), U 150.5 (-118)*
UCLA came in at No. 19 in the most recent AP Poll and No. 17 in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll, and is currently No. 14 in the KenPom rankings. Pepperdine did not appear in either the AP Poll or Coaches Poll, and is currently No. 152 in the KenPom.
The Bruins were the heavy favorite to win the Pac-12 this season, earning the No. 1 spot in the preseason media poll. The Waves, meanwhile, came in at No. 7 in the WCC preseason media poll.
UCLA is led by coach Mick Cronin, who is in his fourth season with the program. Cronin boasts a 71-32 record since arriving in Westwood and a 436-203 record as a head coach overall, including his stints at Murray State and Cincinnati.
In 2022, UCLA finished 27-8, earning second-place in both the Pac-12 regular season standings and conference tournament before reaching the Sweet 16 and losing to eventual national championship runner-up North Carolina. The Bruins finished No. 11 in the KenPom rankings, boasting the No. 12 adjusted offense and No. 16 adjusted defense in the country.
UCLA averaged 75.4 points per game last season, which ranked No. 59 in the country and No. 2 in the Pac-12. The Bruins' defense allowed 64.2 points per game, which ranked No. 42 in the country and No. 1 in the Pac-12.
To open up the 2022-2023 season, UCLA beat Sacramento State, then took care of business against Long Beach State and Norfolk State. The Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas posed a new kind of threat for the Bruins, though, as they lost to No. 14 Illinois and No. 7 Baylor in tight contests to fall to 3-2.
Guard Jaylen Clark is leading UCLA with 16.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game. Point guard Tyger Campbell is averaging 15.4 points and 4.6 assists per game, while guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. is averaging 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and guard David Singleton is averaging 12.2 points per game on 55.6% shooting from 3-point range.
Pepperdine is led by coach Lorenzo Romar, who is in his fifth season with the program. Romar got his first head coaching gig with the Waves back in the late 1990s, before a three-year stint at Saint Louis and 15 years at Washington, giving him a 449-356 career record overall.
In 2022, Pepperdine finished 7-25, good for dead last in the WCC. The Waves finished No. 279 in the KenPom rankings, boasting the No. 276 adjusted offense and No. 261 adjusted defense in the country.
Pepperdine averaged 68.2 points per game last season, which ranked No. 257 in the country and No. 8 in the WCC. The Waves' defense allowed 77.5 points per game, which ranked No. 341 in the country and No. 10 in the WCC.
To open the 2022-2023 season, Pepperdine notched a 39-point win over Rice, only to lose to Cal State Fullerton four days later. Wins over Alabama State, Vanguard and UC Irvine have gotten the Waves back on track, though, and they now sit at 4-1 having already reached the 90-point mark three times this year.
Like UCLA, Pepperdine also has four players averaging double figures, led by forward Maxwell Lewis and his 17.2 and 5.8 rebounds per game. Guard Houston Mallette averages 15.0 points per game, guard Mike Mitchell Jr. averages 14.2 points and 5.0 assists per game and big man Jevon Porter averages 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. All four players are underclassmen and shoot 40% or better from 3 on three or more attempts per game.
UCLA owns a 20-4 advantage in the all-time head-to-head series with Pepperdine. Since dropping three of the first five matchups to the Waves from 1944 to 1946, the Bruins are 18-1 against their Malibu foes, with their only loss coming in 2001.
The last time UCLA and Pepperdine faced off was in 2020 in San Diego, when the Bruins went down at the half but wound up winning in triple overtime. The Waves haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 2002, and in two of their 13 trips to March Madness all-time, the Bruins were the ones to knock them out.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
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