College Basketball Betting: No. 4 Washington State Duels No. 5 UCLA in Pac-10 Showdown

Freshman Kevin Love gets a serious test from the Cougars on Saturday. (AP Images)

How do you characterize an 11:30 a.m. start against the toughest competition in the league?

“Like a root canal without Novocaine,” according to UCLA coach Ben Howlend.

His fifth-ranked Bruins face No. 4 Washington State in a Saturday morning Pac-10 tilt that’s widely anticipated by college basketball observers. The undefeated Cougars (14-0) routed USC on Thursday and look to complete a sweep of Los Angeles with a victory at Pauley Pavilion. Meanwhile, the Bruins (15-1) seek to reassert their dominance in the nation’s power conference.

"It could be very big for us," UCLA freshman Kevin Love said. "It's two really poised, really efficient teams. We've got to adjust to what they do.”

The Bruins “are a measuring stick,” said Wazzou coach Tony Bennett.

The Pac-10 could certainly ride on this early-season matchup. If the Cougars pull the upset they’ll be 4-0 in the conference with road wins against two of their stiffest rivals.

The early start is to accommodate television (the game will be broadcast on FSN), but it still will be under the radar because of the NFL playoffs.

In a day when the top eight teams in the country are in action, only the UCLA-Wazzou contest features ranked opponents. For college basketball odds for Saturday, visit the Bodog Sportsbook.