UCLA Faces Illinois Friday as Bruins Battle Low Attendance
The No. 4 ranked team hosts a surging Illinois squad in Pasadena, while NBA action features the Knicks in Indianapolis and Steph Curry out for the Warriors.
By Rebecca Lewis ·
College football fans in Los Angeles often wonder why a dominant local team does not draw larger crowds. The No. 4 UCLA Bruins are 9-0 and off to their best start since 1998, yet they face a quiet stadium at the Rose Bowl on Friday night.
UCLA is averaging 31,461 fans per game, the second-lowest total in the Big Ten conference. Only Northwestern, which played its first home game late in the season, has a lower average. The Bruins fill just 57.96% of stadium capacity, the worst percentage in the conference and 118th in the nation.
The Bruins host Illinois at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. The Illini are 6-3 overall and 4-2 in conference play. After losing back-to-back games to Ohio State and Purdue, Illinois has won four straight. They must beat UCLA, Iowa, and Northwestern to keep their playoff hopes alive. UCLA is a 10-point favorite in betting odds.
Illinois has transformed its defense during its winning streak. The team allowed 26.0 points per game in its first five contests but has surrendered just 19.3 points over the last four games. That number drops to 13.3 over the final three matchups. UCLA has been held under 27 points only twice this season, in its closest victories at Oregon and against Wisconsin.
In the NBA, the New York Knicks visit the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The Knicks are 6-5 but rank 10th in offensive efficiency at 115.7 points per 100 possessions. Since a 0-3 start, New York ranks third in the league at 120.6 points per 100 possessions. The teams have combined for 220 or more points in seven of their last eight meetings.
The San Antonio Spurs host the Golden State Warriors at 9:30 p.m. ET. Steph Curry is out for at least two weeks following an oblique injury suffered in Wednesday's loss to Houston. Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg is stepping into the offensive void. The 6-foot-9 Michigan product averages 21.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 51.8% from the field.
Lendeborg is currently the favorite at +115 odds for the Rookie of the Year award. The SportsLine Projection Model gives the Warriors a 28% chance to win in San Antonio. It assigns a B grade to the Golden State money line at +481 odds.
