College Hoops Betting Odds: Richmond Spiders at UCLA Bruins
Friday, December 23, 2011
Frank Martin
UCLA hasn’t lost since Ben Howland booted forward Reeves Nelson off the team for attitude problems. The UCLA Bruins really haven’t played anyone of consequence in that time, either. The Bruins have won four straight games, the past three by a combined 85 points, as they prepare to host Richmond Spiders Friday in their pre-conference schedule finale.
Richmond would seem to pose a tougher challenge than the past four foes. The Spiders have won at Wake Forest and are coming off an overtime win against Old Dominion. And Richmond has been a menace on the road for years.
- Richmond Spiders @ UCLA Bruins
When:
10:30 PM ET, Friday, December 23, 2011
Where:
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles,
California
TV:
Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket
The Bruins have opened as 8-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NCAA Basketball Odds.
Richmond Spiders (7-5): The Spiders snapped a three-game skid with the win against Old Dominion. Newcomer Kendall Anthony has picked up three Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week awards this season. Still coming off the bench, Anthony leads the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg. The Spiders went 10-3 on the road last season and have won 19 of their last 22 Atlantic-10 Conference games on the road. Their success away from home led to their NCAA berth last season where they reached the Sweet 16 and a spot in the Top 25. They had a school-record 29 wins last season.
UCLA Bruins (6-5): While UCLA’s string of victories are hardly earth-shattering at least the Bruins seem to have things headed in the right direction as Pac-12 play is about to begin. The Bruins got off to an embarrassing 2-5 start to the season playing no defense and established little depth in the process. Since then, however, Howland has had his team playing more zone defense and last game Norman Powell came off the bench to lead the team with 19 points. Even center Josh Smith has been effective and Travis Wear returned to the lineup after missing two games with a foot infection. The Bruins still don’t look like a Top 25 team, but they aren’t as bad as they looked when they lost to Loyola Marymount and got pounded by Middle Tennessee, both at home.
1.
Richmond was picked fifth in the A-10
preseason poll.
2. The Spiders are currently 78th in the RPI rankings, UCLA is 212th.
3. Howland
spoke on his decision for dismissing Nelson from the team: ''That was the
reason when I removed Reeves. It has improved our chemistry and being positive.
That's the bottom line.’’
NCAA BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Bruins 70, Spiders 62
Bet on NCAA College Basketball games with SBG Global Sportsbook, click here!
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Category
Tags
ben howland - josh smith - kendall anthony - los angeles memorial sports arena - reeves nelson - richmond spiders - travis wear - ucla bruins