| MATCHUP | UCLA Bruins | Penn State Nittany Lions |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 11-5 | 9-7 |
| Where | Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA | |
| When | Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | |
| Time | 08:30 PM EST | |
| TV | FS1 | |
The UCLA Bruins and the Penn State Nittany Lions meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Bryce Jordan Center. Here’s a UCLA vs Penn State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UCLA vs Penn State pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
UCLA Bruins Betting Preview
This year the Bruins opened things up with a 7-3 run over their first 10 games. UCLA lost to Arizona, California and Gonzaga during that time. UCLA would then beat Arizona State, Cal Poly and UC Riverside in succession before consecutive losses to Iowa and Wisconsin. After a win over Maryland, the Bruins have an 11-5 record in the books following their first 16 games of the season.
In the Maryland game over the weekend, the Bruins managed to power out a 67-55 win at home. UCLA was led by Trent Perry with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in the victory. Eric Dailey was close behind on 15 points with nine rebounds and one assist, while Tyler Bilodeau had 10 points with two assists and one block. Steven Jamerson came off the bench for eight points and five rebounds as well.
Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview
Over on the Penn State side, they opened up the season on a nice run, winning eight of their first nine games. The lone loss in that time was versus Providence. Since then however, it’s been an ugly 1-6 run with losses to Indiana, Michigan State, Pitt, Illinois, Michigan and Purdue (with a win over NC Central). That gives the Lions a 9-7 overall run across their first 16 games this year.
In the Purdue matchup on Saturday, the Nittany Lions took a road loss 93-85. Penn State’s Freddie Dillone was the leading team scorer in the defeat, notching 25 points with five assists and two rebounds on 10-of-20 shooting. Eli Rice added 11 points and four rebounds, while Melih Tunca came off the bench for 14 points, three rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes of action on the court.
UCLA Bruins @ Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Trends: January 14, 2026
Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win
- Penn State has won 14 of its last 15 night games at Bryce Jordan Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- UCLA has lost the first half in four of its last five road games against the Big Ten Conference.
Why the UCLA Bruins will win
- Penn State has lost nine of its last 10 night games against the Big Ten Conference.
- UCLA has won each of its last six Wednesday games.
- UCLA has won the first half in nine of its last 11 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
UCLA vs Penn State Prediction
I’ll stick with UCLA. The Bruins held a struggling Maryland team to just 30 percent shooting in their most recent victory over the weekend, hitting 43 percent from the floor themselves. UCLA did get out-rebounded pretty badly 48-29, but made up for it on just six turnovers to the Terrapins’ 13 (leading to 16 Bruins points). UCLA is just 1-2 in their last two games however, scoring fewer than 68 points in two of those outings.
As for Penn State, they couldn’t get past a good Purdue squad last weekend thanks to 58 percent shooting allowed on defense. The Lions shot 57 percent from the field themselves though, along with 44 percent (12-of-27) from outside and 16 team assists. Penn State has lost six of their last seven games (amid a tough stretch of the schedule, to be fair), giving up 73 or more points in all six of those defeats.