A storied basketball program collides with one of the NCAA’s premier brands when the No. 7 UCLA Bruins (23-10) take on the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers (28-7) on Saturday during the quarterfinals of the Midwest Region in Rupp Arena.
UCLA was trending upward in Mick Cronin’s first few seasons, making a Final Four appearance in 2021 while reaching three consecutive Sweet 16s. Last year derailed that momentum, and the Bruins backed into this year’s tournament with a 4-4 record down the stretch.
Tennessee is heading in the opposite direction. The Vols have won eight of their past 10 games with one loss coming in the SEC Tournament championship game. Rick Barnes has the Vols in their seventh straight tournament, and Tennessee made it to the Elite Eight last season for only the second time in school history.
Can the Bruins keep up with the red-hot Volunteers on Saturday? We’ll cover that and provide our three best player prop bets for this second-round contest between UCLA and Tennessee.
Chaz Lanier has made the most of his time on the big stage this year. After playing for four seasons at the University of North Florida, the 6-foot-4 senior is averaging 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists each night for the Volunteers.
Lanier erupted against Wofford, scoring 29 points for Tennessee. He’s poured in 18 or more points in four of the team’s past six games, showcasing his ability to light up the scoreboard. With Tennessee’s chance to return to the Sweet 16 on the line, he’ll finish with at least 16 points for the Volunteers on Saturday.
Senior guard Kobe Johnson has been the glue behind the Bruins’ roster this season. The 6-foot-6 senior is averaging 8.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists for UCLA, numbers that aren’t eye-popping by any means.
Still, he’s finished with at least six rebounds for the Bruins in four of the past six outings. Tennessee is a fast and athletic team, and they’ll have at least one 6-foot-10 player in the paint most of the night. Bettors shouldn’t take the over on Johnson’s rebounding prop bet as he’ll likely struggle with the Volunteers’ height.
If Lanier is the power behind Tennessee’s high-octane offense, Zeigler is the gasoline. The 5-foot-9 guard dissects defenses by finding open teammates, and he’s fifth in the country with 7.5 assists this season.
That’s not to dismiss the senior’s 13.7 points per night or his 3.0 rebounds per game. But in four of the past six outings, he’s finished with at least eight assists, including 12 against Wofford on Thursday. Expect him to do the same to UCLA, finishing with at least seven assists to cover this player prop bet.
Tennessee has been on a roll most of the season, ranking among the AP Top 10 throughout 2025. The Volunteers only losses in 2025 have been to tournament teams, but their wins have been by five or more points in all but three instances this calendar year.
On the other hand, UCLA has posted exactly one win in the Eastern Time Zone this year, and that was on Thursday against Utah State. In total, the Bruins have only three wins this season outside of the Pacific Time Zone, showing how exhausting their Big Ten travel schedule has been. Expect this game to be close, but give Tennessee the victory by at least five points.