The final game of Saturday's college basketball slate is a showdown in Seattle between the No. 25-ranked UCLA Bruins and the No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs.
These schools have a history of playing close games against each other, which is one reason why my UCLA vs. Gonzaga predictions are taking the points with the underdog Bruins.
Here are my best free college basketball picks for this marquee matchup on December 13.
UCLA vs Gonzaga prediction
UCLA vs Gonzaga best bet: UCLA +9.5 (-110)
UCLA has gone 8-2 this season, with the Bruins' first defeat coming by just four points against No. 1 Arizona. Although they had a disappointing road loss to Cal when they were missing leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, they have since bounced back with wins against Oregon and Washington.
With the exception of an ugly 40-point loss to Michigan (who has been crushing everybody this year), Gonzaga has looked like a title contender. The Bulldogs are 9-1, boasting a neutral-site victory against No. 12 Alabama and a 35-point win against No. 18 Kentucky.
That said, all of those schools feed into the fast-paced style of the Zags, while UCLA is a different beast entirely. The Bruins are able to control tempo and slow foes down to a crawl, ranking 355th in the country in opponent average possession length.
Mick Cronin's squads always play hard-nosed defense with heavy ball pressure, but this year's version can also score. All five of UCLA's starters are averaging double digits in points, while sixth man Trent Perry is averaging 9.9 ppg.
There's plenty of familiarity between these schools, as they've faced off in each of the past five seasons. Four of those contests were decided in the final minute, so take the points with UCLA.
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UCLA vs Gonzaga same-game parlay
Bilodeau leads UCLA with 15.6 ppg on 52.1 FG%. The senior forward scored 19 points against Arizona and poured in 21 versus Washington. Gonzaga is elite at defending the three but more vulnerable inside the arc, where Bilodeau thrives in the paint and from midrange.
Gonzaga big man Graham Ike is a two-time first-team All-WCC selection and leads the team with 8.1 rebounds per game. He has pulled down 10+ boards against Kentucky, Alabama, Creighton, and Oklahoma.
UCLA vs Gonzaga SGP
- UCLA +9.5
- Tyler Bilodeau Over 12.5 points
- Graham Ike Over 7.5 rebounds
Our beyond the arc SGP: How Low Can You Go
Since I’m expecting UCLA’s defense to slow Gonzaga and neither side attempts many threes, let’s add the Under 147 to boost this SGP to +1150.
UCLA vs Gonzaga SGP
- UCLA +9.5
- Tyler Bilodeau Over 12.5 points
- Graham Ike Over 7.5 rebounds
- Under 147
UCLA vs Gonzaga odds
- Spread: UCLA +9.5 (-110) | Gonzaga -9.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: UCLA +400| Gonzaga -550
- Over/Under: Over 147 (-110) | Under 147 (-110)
UCLA vs Gonzaga betting trend to know
The Bruins have covered the first half spread in 21 of their last 34 games (+7.25 Units / 18% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for UCLA vs. Gonzaga.
How to watch UCLA vs Gonzaga
| Location | Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA |
| Date | Saturday, December 13, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 11:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
UCLA vs Gonzaga key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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