#25 UCLA vs. #8 Gonzaga Picks and Predictions: Seattle Hoops Showdown

|
Mick Cronin and the Bruins will have their hands full with the Zags on Saturday - UCLA Gonzaga Picks

Late on Saturday Night in the Pacific Northwest, two top 25 schools meet at Climate Pledge Arena to settle their differences. The No. 8 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the No. 25 newly ranked UCLA Bruins. Mick Cronin and Mark Few have plenty of history between the two of them, including Gonzaga’s 93-90 victory in the 2021 Final Four. I’m sure the Bruins’ faithful still aren’t over that loss, and they’ll want some revenge this weekend. Can they get it and pull off this upset in what will feel like a road game? Let’s get into our favorite picks and find out.

More NCAA Basketball Coverage

Go check out what else I’ve got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.

#25 UCLA Bruins vs. #8 Gonzaga Bulldogs NCAA Basketball Insights

Can Donovan Dent lead UCLA to an upset victory against Gonzaga? UCLA Gonzaga Picks

Can Donovan Dent lead UCLA to an upset victory against Gonzaga?

The Bruins are off to a 7-2 start this season with one forgivable loss. I’ll let them off the hook for losing to the top ranked Arizona Wildcats on a neutral site by just four points, but losing to California by eight isn’t great. Since then, UCLA does have two decent wins to start off their Big Ten conference season, beating former PAC-12 foes, Washington and Oregon. But now they face their second ranked opponent of the season, another top 10 team.

Gonzaga has looked rock solid in nine of their 10 games. They have a 9-1 record to show for it, with wins over then No. 23 Creighton by 27, over No. 8 Alabama by 10 and by 35 over the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats. Their one loss? Losing to No. 7 Michigan by 40 in the Player’s Era Festival Championship. Michigan is now the No. 2 ranked team in the country, and look like a national championship contender. Since that embarrassing loss, the Zags have two wins, covering in both games. In fact, the Zags are an impressive 8-2 against the spread this season. Can they keep it up?

Matchup Information – UCLA vs. Gonzaga – December 13

  • Venue & Location: Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle, WA)
  • Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025
  • Kick Off: 11:30 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: ESPN

UCLA vs. Gonzaga Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of December 12, 2025 at 5:52 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • UCLA +9.5 (-110)
  • Gonzaga -9.5 (-110)

Total

  • Over 148.5 (-110)
  • Under 148.5 (-110)

Like I said, this isn’t a true road game for the Bruins, but it will sure feel like it. This game is in Seattle, a short drive for Spokane residents, but I’d imagine their are plenty of Gonzaga alums already there. It’s much harder for the Bruin fans to make the trip, and I think the entire team might be a little out of sorts against Gonzaga.

#25 UCLA vs. #8 Gonzaga NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions

Graham Ike and Gonzaga take on the UCLA Bruins in Seattle on Saturday Night - UCLA Gonzaga Picks

Graham Ike and Gonzaga take on the UCLA Bruins in Seattle on Saturday Night

UCLA vs. Gonzaga Prediction: Gonzaga Wins and Covers, Over 148.5

Best Bet: Gonzaga -9.5 (-110) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

Have no fear in backing the Bulldogs by double digits. I see them absolutely cruising to a dominating victory. Now I was able to book -8.5 before this ticked up a point, but anything under 11.5 is a play here. The Zags should roll.

They will certainly pick up the speed in this game, taking the Bruins out of their comfort zone. Gonzaga ranks top 50 in terms of possessions per game, while UCLA is No. 315 in the country. UCLA doesn’t shoot very many threes, but they do make up for it on the defensive side of things. However, I think they are out manned in this matchup.

Gonzaga has so much experience on their team and plenty of scoring options. This team is top 35 on both sides of the basketball in adjusted efficiency, eFG%, turnover rate and rebounding. This includes ranking top 10 in efficiency (offense and defense), No. 9 in offensive rebounds allowed and No. 12 in eFG% defense in the nation. Gonzaga is good. They have the size advantage inside, and I see them completely dominating a UCLA team who I really haven’t been impressed with.

Still Didn’t Get Your NCAA Basketball Fix?

Here at Betting News, we offer Free Expert Picks for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our Twitch Channel with our best bets, as well as sweat out games on Playback! Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our Youtube, TikTok, and X pages as well, and follow my personal twitter @Shaggy_Bets for my full daily card.

Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly

Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER

Check Out All of Our Betting Resources at Betting News