The No. 16 Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins are both newcomers to the Big Ten and the two former Pac-12 rivals will go head-to-head in their new league on Thursday. The Ducks are off to a 16-4 start and are 5-4 in the Big Ten, while UCLA is 15-6 overall and 6-4 in league play. The two teams have split their last 10 matchups, but UCLA has covered the spread in six of those encounters.

Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. The Bruins are 4.5-point favorites, with a total points over/under set at 140.5. Before placing bets on this matchup, check out the predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

Why You Should Back UCLA

The Bruins recently clinched an 82-76 victory against USC on Monday, marking their fourth consecutive win. Eric Dailey Jr. led with 16 points, while Aday Mara contributed a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Mara also blocked five shots, demonstrating his defensive prowess with a total of 12 blocks over his last three games. UCLA is 2-1-1 against the spread during this winning streak. See which team to pick here.

Why You Should Back Oregon

Conversely, the Ducks are looking to recover after a 77-69 defeat to Minnesota on Saturday. Brandon Angel was the standout for Oregon with 18 points, with Jackson Shelstad and TJ Bamba both contributing 15 points.

Leading scorer Nathan Bittle (12.9 points per game) struggled last game, needing to rebound on Thursday. Although Oregon has not covered the spread in its last four games, they had success in their two prior matches as road underdogs this season. See which team to pick here.

How to Make UCLA vs. Oregon Picks

SportsLine’s model leans towards hitting the Over, predicting a total of 144 combined points between both teams. It also highlights which side of the spread offers better value. Find the pick on SportsLine.