The No. 7 UCLA Bruins (17-3, 8-1 Pac-12) and USC Trojans (14-6, 6-3) battle for the City of Angels Thursday. Tip-off from Galen Center in Los Angeles is at 9 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the UCLA vs. USC odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
UCLA is coming off a 58-52 loss at then-No. 11 Arizona Saturday. The Pac-12’s top defensive team (59.8 points per game allowed) had won 14 consecutive games before the loss in Tucson. Thursday’s game at USC will mark the Bruins’ 3rd straight game away from Pauley Pavilion.
The Trojans played UCLA tough in a 60-58 loss at Pauley Pavilion on Jan.5 and are coming off a 77-69 win at Arizona State Saturday. The USC triumph was an upset — the Trojans were 11.5-point underdogs in that game. Southern Cal now returns to home hardwood, where it has won 9 in a row.