The Wildcats are still out west today, looking to win their second straight game. This time, they'll take on UCLA after a 74-68 victory at USC on Wednesday.

Barring matchup concerns, expect to see Chris Collins trot out the same lineup he used against the Trojans as he continues to lean further into this team's youth. Jake West, Tyler Kropp and Max Green all impressed earlier this week, and they'll likely start alongside Tre Singleton and Nick Martinelli.

Martinelli is always a player to watch, but it feels especially so today as Northwestern's best player has been frustrated a bit in recent games. He's still scoring 20 points because, well, that's just what he does -- but he's been less efficient and opposing defenses have really been putting a lot of pressure on him.

Today, if players like West and Kropp can continue to provide some supplementary offense, it could help take some of the burden off Martinelli. Northwestern needs to force UCLA's defense to cover other players.

The Bruins, meanwhile, are coming off a massive victory at home over Purdue. They won that game 69-67 on Tuesday behind 23 points from Donovan Dent. 

Dent is just their third-leading scorer on the season, trailing Skyy Clark and Tyler Bilodeau. They have a lot of horses, and Northwestern is going to have to deal with all of them this evening except for Clark, who is out with an injury. That should be a big help for the 'Cats, though he didn't play against Purdue either.

This is a tough matchup for the Wildcats, but so is every game in the Big Ten. UCLA is a beatable team. Before the Purdue game it lost to Ohio State on the road, and it's a seven-point favorite which isn't completely out of hand. Northwestern will need to play a clean game similar to the USC win, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility for it to come away with a W.

As we get closer to tip off, here's everything you need to know about tonight's game, from injury reports, to betting lines to where to watch.

Northwestern Wildcats (9-10, 1-7 B1G) @ UCLA Bruins (13-6, 5-3 B1G)

Location: Pauley Pavillion | Los Angeles, California

Tipoff: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. CT

TV: FS1

Radio: WGN AM 720

Line: UCLA -7.5

Northwestern OUT:

NONE

UCLA OUT: