UCLA and Villanova made it through the first round of March Madness action and now they will face each other this afternoon at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The East Region game between the six seed Bruins and the three seed Wildcats is set to tip off at 1:05pm ET and it will be broadcast live on CBS. The winner will move on to face either Duke or Texas in the Sweet 16. 
UCLA vs Villanova NCAA Tournament Picks at Sportsbook.com have the Wildcats listed as a -2 against the spread favorite.
UCLA survived a close first round tilt with the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on Thursday night at the Wachovia Center. The Bruins won the game 65-64 after foiling Rams guard Eric Maynor's game winning shot attempt. The victory was UCLA's sixth in their last seven games.
Ben Howland's squad managed to hit six of their 12 three point attempts in the contest and they also knocked down 17-of-19 from the charity stripe. Five players scored in double figures for the Bruins, but it was forward Josh Shipp that led the way. Shipp connected on 5-of-11 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line to finish with 16 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds and came up with a couple of steals.
Villanova, like UCLA, had a difficult time handling their first round opponent. Although the Wildcats did come away with a 80-67 win over American, it was by no means an easy task. In fact, Villanova trailed 31-41 at halftime and needed a superior second half effort to overtake the Patriots.
Jay Wright's team was able to garner their seventh win in their last nine games as a result of their front court dominance. Forwards Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham combined for 50 points on 18-of-26 shooting and they also reeled in 15 boards. Their effort, coupled with the team's 26-of-29 night from the line, proved to be more than American could overcome.
Sportsbook.com's UCLA vs Villanova NCAA Tournament Picks:
UCLA Bruins +2 (-110), Over 145 (-110), +110 (Moneyline)
Villanova Wildcats -2 (-110), Under 145 (-110), -130 (Moneyline)
