Welcome to March and welcome to the MADNESS! The 2021 NCAA Tournament officially got underway with First Four action on Thursday night. But let’s admit, it wasn’t until 15-seed Oral Roberts stunned 2-seed Ohio State during Friday’s First Round games that the March Madness aura truly set in. We are in full-on tourney mode now and the excitement only promises to continue from here. With brackets already locked in place, there’s no better way to stay involved with the action than by placing some March Madness best bets! First Round games will continue on Saturday with 16 in total spaced out over the course of the afternoon and evening. Among the four late games is an East Region showdown between the 11-seed UCLA Bruins and 6-seed BYU Cougars. The following article looks at the best available odds and offers a March Madness best bets prediction for Saturday afternoon’s UCLA vs BYU matchup.
UCLA vs. BYU | March Madness Betting Picks, Odds and Trends
UCLA vs. BYU Game Info
UCLA Bruins (18-9, 13-6 Pac-12) vs. BYU Cougars (20-6, 10-3 West Coast)
Date: Saturday, Mar. 20, 2021
Start Time: 9:40 p.m. EST
Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse — Indianapolis, IN
Coverage: CBS
Although this is a First Round matchup, it will be UCLA’s second game of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins had to put together a late rally to force overtime in their First Four game against Michigan State on Thursday. They ultimately came away with the win but paid a price to do so. Guard Johnny Juzang had his ankle rolled up on during the extra period and was forced to leave the game. His availability for Saturday’s game is very much in doubt. At any rate, the Bruins aren’t overly reliant on Juzang or any one player when it comes to scoring. They finished the year ranked 46th in the College Basketball Net despite their early exit from the Pac-12 Conference Tournament.
Many college basketball analysts have been of the opinion that BYU is a bit overseeded as the East Region’s 6-seed. While it’s true that the Cougars played in an easier conference than some power teams seeded below them, this team is pretty dang good. They finished with a top-20 Net ranking and only dropped six games all season. Two of their three West Coast Conference losses came to unbeaten Gonzaga. BYU gave the Zags all they could handle in the WCC Tournament final and nearly pulled off the upset. Guard Alex Barcello leads three Cougars who average in double figures scoring with 15.9 points per game.
Click on the IMAGE BELOW to start Odds Shopping!
UCLA vs. BYU March Madness Best Bets + Odds Shopping
For those looking to bet on the UCLA – BYU First Round game, shopping the March Madness odds at various sportsbooks is key to getting the best value possible. Whether you wish to back the favored Cougars or underdog Bruins, discrepancies in the lines and odds throughout the college basketball betting market make odds shopping a necessity. With its side-by-side comparison of the March Madness betting odds for UCLA – BYU, the Awesemo OddsShopper Tool is the best resource to help with this process.
The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds
- BetMGM North Carolina Pre-Registration: $200 in Bonus Bets Awaiting You When Sports Betting Launches
- Bet365 North Carolina Pre-Registration: Get $100 in Bonus Bets Before March 11
- DraftKings North Carolina Pre-Registration: Up to $300 in Bonus Bets for NC Launch on March 11!
- FanDuel North Carolina Pre-Registration: Grab $300 in Bonus Bets Between Now and March 11!
- Bet365 Louisiana Bonus Code: Bet $1, Get $365 in Bonus Bets!
- Stokastic DFS on Youtube
As seen in the accompanying image above, BYU is a decent-sized betting favorite for this game despite the shade that numerous media personalities have thrown at the Cougars this week. Those interested in taking BYU to win the game outright will find the best moneyline odds at BetRivers and DraftKings. The -186 price marks the lowest amount one would need to lay on the favorite in this game. For the second straight game, UCLA will be the underdog on Saturday. All three of FanDuel, PointsBet and William Hill are offering a solid return on an outright Bruins win with +160 moneyline odds.
Click on the IMAGE BELOW to start Odds Shopping!
UCLA vs. BYU March Madness Best Bets | Total
The total for Saturday’s East region matchup between UCLA and BYU sits at 139 all across the betting market with one slight exception. Bettors looking to bet this game over should aim to do so at BetMGM, where the line of 138.5 (-115) offers an extra half-point relative to other books. For those interested in betting the total under, the best price on under 139 total points can be found in -139 odds at William Hill.
UCLA vs. BYU March Madness Prediction
Bens Bet: BYU -4
Simply too much outside shooting for BYU in this spot as I trust them to get the job done against UCLA. Similar to Gonzaga the question of who BYU played in conference is legitimate, but they still were tested early in the season and showcased themselves well against the #1 Zags during the regular season. UCLA beat a Michigan State team that struggled all season and I believe the run ends here for the Bruins.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.
Check out the AwesemoOdds home page for more sports betting content, including more picks and predictions.
