The second-seeded UCLA Bruins continue their quest for a 12th national title when they face the No. 3 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday in a Sweet 16 matchup in the West Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. UCLA, which won its record 11th championship in 1995, is making its third straight Sweet 16 appearance after defeating Northwestern 68-63 on Saturday. Gonzaga, which lost to Arkansas at this stage last year after reaching the final in 2021, edged TCU 84-81 in the second round.

Tip-off at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is set for 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS. The Bruins are 2-point favorites in the latest UCLA vs. Gonzaga odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 145.5. Before locking in any Gonzaga vs. UCLA picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament 83-54 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,500 for $100 players. It also went 4-1 on top-rated picks during the first week of March Madness. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns. 

Now, the model has set its sights on UCLA vs. Gonzaga and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2023. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Gonzaga vs. UCLA:

• UCLA vs. Gonzaga spread: Bruins -2
• UCLA vs. Gonzaga over/under: 145.5 points
• UCLA vs. Gonzaga money line: Bruins -130, Bulldogs +110
• UCLA: The Bruins are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games
• GON: The Bulldogs have failed to cover their last seven March Madness contests
• UCLA vs. Gonzaga picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why UCLA can cover

The Bruins were led in their victory against Northwestern by Jaime Jaquez Jr., who scored 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds. The senior guard, who tops UCLA with averages of 17.5 points and 8.1 boards, has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive contests and 33 of 36 this season. Jaquez has averaged 20.5 points and eight rebounds in the NCAA Tournament thus far.

UCLA also received a strong performance on Saturday from Amari Bailey, who went 5-for-7 from the field en route to 14 points while adding six assists and four boards. The freshman guard posted similar numbers in the team’s first-round triumph over UNC Asheville, registering 17 points, six assists and four rebounds along with three steals. Senior guard Tyger Campbell missed all seven of his shots from the field but was perfect from the free-throw line, sinking all 12 of his attempts.

Why Gonzaga can cover 

The Bulldogs trailed TCU by five points at halftime on Sunday before putting together a 51-point second half to advance to the Sweet 16 for the eighth straight time. Drew Timme was a force in the comeback, scoring 17 of his game-high 28 points after intermission and finishing with eight rebounds. The senior forward is 14th in the nation with an average of 21.1 points and leads Gonzaga with 7.3 boards and 3.2 assists per contest.

Senior guard Rasir Bolton reached double digits for just the second time in seven games, scoring 17 points against the Horned Frogs after totaling 12 over his previous three outings. Malachi Smith had a strong performance as he came off the bench to record 11 points and five rebounds. The junior guard, who nailed a trio of 3-pointers, is averaging 8.5 points this season but has hit double figures in four of his last six games.

How to make Gonzaga vs. UCLA picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 154 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 60% of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Gonzaga vs. UCLA? And which side of the spread hits over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.