The No. 4 UCLA Bruins will begin its quest for a back-to-back Final Four appearance when it takes on No. 13 Akron in a 2022 NCAA Tournament First Round matchup. The Zips (24-9) won the Mid-American Conference tournament and are on an eight-game winning streak. The Bruins (25-7) finished second in the Pac-12 regular season and were also runners-up in the conference tournament title game.

Tip-off is set for 9:50 p.m. ET at Moda Center in Portland, Ore. The Bruins are a 13.5-point favorite in the latest UCLA vs. Akron odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the Over-Under is set at 128.5. (Head over to our college basketball odds page for up-to-date odds on every game). 

Before you make any Akron vs. UCLA picks, you NEED to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.

The model knows the Bruins are as experienced as any team in the tournament, with its entire starting five from last year's Final Four team returning. UCLA is well balanced with four players averaging in double-figures, led by Johnny Juzang's 16 points per game. Juzang is a proven commodity when the lights are brightest as he averaged 22.8 PPG during UCLA's six-game tournament run last season. He is the key to an efficient offense that commits just 9.2 turnovers per game, fourth-fewest in the nation.

The model also has considered that Akron has a style of play that's conducive to success in March. It plays slow, grind-it-out games where every possession matters and the Zips are well-positioned to win these kinds of games as they rank second in the MAC in FG percentage. Also, Akron coach John Groce is in a familiar position as a No. 13 seed as his Ohio Bobcats were the same seed 10 years ago, and all Ohio did was knock off No. 4 Michigan in the first round and advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Now, the model has broken down the UCLA vs. Akron matchup from every angle and revealed its results. We can tell you the model is leaning Over the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Akron vs. UCLA in their 2022 NCAA Tournament opener? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the UCLA vs. Akron spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the model on a roll on college basketball picks!