The USC Trojans (11-4, 3-1 Pac-12) battle the No. 8'UCLA Bruins (13-2, 4-0) at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles Thursday. Tip is set for 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).'Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the USC vs. UCLA'odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Trojans lost to Washington State 81-71 on Sunday, failing to cover as 1-point road underdogs. However, USC has covered 3 of its last 4 games to improve to 7-8 against the spread (ATS). Its strength is in its defense, ranking 17th in the nation in opponents’ field goal percentage (38.2%).
The Bruins are a perfect 8-0 at home and coming off a 74-49 road victory over Washington, covering as 11-point favorites. They are 4-1 ATS over their last 5 and 9-6 ATS on the season. UCLA is strong on both sides of the court, ranking 25th in field goal percentage (48.9%) and 95th in opponents’ field goal percentage (41.3%).