College basketball picks: USC-UCLA prediction, odds, spread for January 5

The No. 10 UCLA Bruins will return home for a Thursday night matchup with the USC Trojans from Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The game will get started at 9:30 p.m. ET and air on ESPN.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

USC vs. UCLA odds

Spread: UCLA -11
Over/Under: 140.5
Moneyline: UCLA -645, USC +480

USC (11-4, 3-1 Pac-12) had a seven-game winning streak ended in Sunday's 81-71 loss to the Washington State Cougars. The Trojans are led by Boogie Ellis, who is scoring 16.1 points per game. USC rates outside of the top 60 in KenPom's adjusted efficiency on both ends of the floor, but the Trojans are off to a decent start to Pac-12 play.

UCLA (13-2, 4-0 Pac-12) extended its winning streak to 10 games, and the Bruins crushed the Washington Huskies 74-49 on the road on New Year's Day. UCLA will be without Amari Bailey for the third game in a row as he recovers from a foot injury. The Bruins rate third overall in KenPom and seventh in adjusted efficiency on both ends of the floor.

The Pick: USC +11

UCLA will win this game, but the Trojans are good enough to keep the deficit within single digits. If you're looking for a motivational edge, USC should be the more focused team looking to rebound from a loss, and UCLA could start to feel the effects of being without Bailey, who is averaging 9.5 points per game this season.

  
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