Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs UCLA Bruins Prediction, 2/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs UCLA Bruins

Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Location: Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA

TV: ESPN+

The UCLA Bruins (15-6) are hosting the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-12) at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights played USC and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 78-75 in their last contest. Rutgers ended the game with a 39.2% FG percentage (29 out of 74) and made 8 of their 24 3-pointers. At the free throw line, the Scarlet Knights buried 9 of their 12 shots for a rate of 75.0%. When discussing hauling in rebounds, they earned a total of 31 with 16 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 14 assists in the matchup in addition to forcing the other team into 16 turnovers and getting 7 steals. With regard to defense, Rutgers allowed their opponent to shoot 51.0% from the field on 26 of 51 shooting. USC recorded 16 assists and had 6 steals for the contest. In addition, USC collected 37 rebounds (11 offensive, 26 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. USC finished shooting 73.3% at the charity stripe by making 22 of their 30 attempts. They also knocked down 4 of their 12 tries from long range. When talking about fouls, the Scarlet Knights ended up walking away with 21 while USC accounted for 13 fouls.

Tariq Francis is a guy who played a role in this contest. He finished 52.6% from the field and also dished out 5 assists. He played for 27 mins and totaled 2 rebounds. He racked up 26 points on 10 out of 19 shooting.

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Rutgers steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss record of 9-12 for the season. They are averaging 70.1 points per contest (313th in D-1) while connecting on 40.6% from the field. The Scarlet Knights are shooting 32.2% on three-point shots (139 of 432) and 73.4% from the free throw line. As a team, Rutgers is snagging 34.7 boards per game and is sitting with 225 assists so far this season, which has them ranked 352nd in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. They are losing possession via turnover 10.6 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 17.0 personal fouls every game.

On defense, the Scarlet Knights are forcing 11.4 turnovers every game and they draw 18.7 fouls. They are ranked 278th in college in giving up assists to their opponents with 314 surrendered so far this year. The Scarlet Knights defense is giving up an opponent FG percentage of 45.0% (557 of 1,238) and they surrender 36.3 rebounds per game as a team. They give up 37.2% on 3-pointers and they are 221st in college in PPG allowed (75.1).

When they last stepped on the court, the UCLA Bruins went home defeated by a final of 98-97 against Indiana. The Bruins were able to pull down 32 defensive boards and 11 offensive boards totaling 43 in the matchup. They also gave up possession of the ball 10 times, while recording 6 steals for the matchup. Indiana committed 27 personal fouls in this game which got the Bruins to the free throw line for a total of 34 tries. They were able to make 30 of those for a percentage of 88.2%. When discussing shooting from distance, UCLA knocked down 7 of 22 attempts (31.8%). When the final whistle was blown, the Bruins finished shooting 30 out of 76 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 39.5%. The Bruins allowed Indiana to bury 28 out of 66 tries from the field which had them shooting 42.4% for this contest. They finished 32.4% from beyond the perimeter by shooting 11 of 34 and walked away from this one shooting 31 out of 38 at the free throw line (81.6%). In reference to attacking the glass, UCLA allowed Indiana to get 39 in total (7 offensive).

Trent Perry ended up being a major contributor for the Bruins in the game. He buried 6 out of 16 for the game giving him a field goal percentage of 37.5%, and totaled 7 rebounds. He totaled 25 points in his 43 minutes on the hardwood and had 1 assist in this matchup.

UCLA has a win-loss mark of 15-6 this year. The Bruins are committing 16.8 personal fouls per contest and they go 75.4% from the free throw line. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 15.4 times per contest (102nd in the country) and they are turning it over 9.8 times per game. UCLA has accounted for 1,620 points for the year (77.1 per contest) and they pull in 32.3 rebounds per contest. As an offense, the Bruins are shooting 47.5% from the floor, which ranks them 67th in the nation.

The UCLA defense gives up 29.6% on shots from distance (154 of 521) and their opposition knocks down 76.3% of their foul shots. They allow 13.6 dimes and 32.5 total rebounds per game, which has them ranked 195th and 72nd in those categories on the defensive end. The Bruins on the defensive end are ranked 58th in college in points given up per game with 68.5. They have forced 13.0 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 42.0% from the field (88th in the country).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Rutgers

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