I'm not falling for North Carolina's status as a No. 8 seed. That low seed has turned out to be a joke with the way the Tar Heels have played. The key is can North Carolina sustain its high level? I don't see that.

Now that Jaime Jaquez has been declared fit to play Friday after suffering an ankle injury, I'm going with the Bruins. UCLA has the deep NCAA Tourney experience, roster depth and ability to limit turnovers that can hurt North Carolina. I see the Bruins controlling tempo, which is huge.

The Bruins lost in overtime to Gonzaga in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament last year. The Bruins' key players from that game are all back.

Jaquez has been playing his best ball down the stretch averaging 21 points during his last seven games.

The Bruins are 7-1 ATS during their last eight NCAA Tournament games.