UCLA Bruins vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UCLA Bruins vs Ohio State Buckeyes

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: Value City Arena in Columbus, OH

TV: ESPN+

Value City Arena is the location where the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-5) will try to beat the UCLA Bruins (12-5) on Saturday.

The UCLA Bruins played Penn State and took home the win by a score of 71-60 in their last game. UCLA ended the contest with a 42.6% FG percentage (20 of 47) and converted 10 out of their 26 shots from beyond the arc. At the charity stripe, the Bruins knocked down 21 of their 21 attempts for a rate of 100.0%. In regard to grabbing boards, they collected 31 with 11 of them being offensive. They also dished out 14 dimes for this contest as well as forcing the opposition into 10 turnovers and getting 4 steals. When talking about defending, UCLA allowed the other team to shoot 43.5% from the field on 20 out of 46 shooting. Penn State doled out 12 assists and had 5 steals in this contest. Furthermore, Penn State had 21 rebounds (6 offensive, 15 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Penn State finished 94.1% from the charity stripe by making 16 of their 17 tries. They also made 4 of 22 shots from beyond the arc. In relation to fouls, the Bruins ended up with 15 and Penn State totaled 17 fouls.

Trent Perry is one player who was a contributor in the matchup. He accounted for 16 points on 5 of 10 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 35 mins and pulled down 6 boards. He went 50.0% from the floor and totaled 2 dimes.

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UCLA comes into this game with a win-loss mark of 12-5 on the campaign. They are losing possession via turnover 10.4 times per contest and as a squad are committing 17.5 fouls every game. As a unit, UCLA is pulling down 32.5 rebounds per game and has racked up 268 assists so far this season, which is 122nd in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Bruins are hitting 36.7% on 3-point shots (124 of 338) and 75.9% from the free throw line. They average 78.4 points per game (150th in Division 1) while going 47.9% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Bruins are forcing their opponents into 13.9 turnovers per game while drawing 19.6 fouls. They are giving up 29.4% on shots from beyond the perimeter while they are 64th in the nation in points per game allowed (68.5). The Bruins defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 41.9% (392 of 936) and they concede 32.2 boards per game as a unit. They are 193rd in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 231 conceded on the season.

The last time they took the court, the Ohio State Buckeyes went home defeated by a final of 81-74 against Washington. In the matter of how they rebounded, Ohio State allowed Washington to get 27 in all (8 on the offensive side). They went 33.3% from beyond the arc by going 6 out of 18 and finished the contest at 19 of 23 from the free throw line (82.6%). The Buckeyes permitted Washington to convert 28 of 56 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 50.0% for the game. When the game finished, the Buckeyes finished shooting 27 out of 63 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 42.9%. Concerning 3-pointers, Ohio State made 7 of 22 tries (31.8%). They were able to make 13 of the free throws for a clip of 86.7%. Washington was called for 14 fouls in this contest which got the Buckeyes to the free throw line for 15 attempts. They turned it over 10 times, while getting 4 steals in this matchup. The Buckeyes corralled 20 defensive boards and 15 offensive boards for a total of 35 for the matchup.

Bruce Thornton pitched in for the Buckeyes for this game. He buried 9 out of 17 in this matchup for a field goal rate of 52.9%, and had 4 rebounds. He accumulated 28 points in his 37 minutes on the court and had 3 assists in this game.

Ohio State has a mark of 11-5 so far this season. In terms of offensive execution, the Buckeyes are hitting on 49.8% from the floor, which ranks them 22nd in the nation. Ohio State has scored 1,330 pts on the season (83.1 per game) and they collect 36.6 boards per contest. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 16.2 times per contest (81st in the country) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 10.9 times per contest. The Buckeyes are committing 17.4 fouls per game and they hit 78.7% from the charity stripe.

The Buckeyes on the defensive end are ranked 143rd in college hoops in PPG surrendered with 71.9. They have forced 11.1 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 41.8% from the floor (83rd in the country). The Ohio State defense concedes 29.4% on shots from behind the 3-point line (116 of 394) and opponents are converting on 73.6% of their free throw shots. They have surrendered 12.9 dimes and 31.6 rebounds per contest, which is 140th and 49th in those categories on the defensive end.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Ohio State

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