USC vs. UCLA picks: Predictions, odds, injury report for Week 12 Pac-12 college football matchup

The most high-stakes Victory Bell showdown in years will take place on Saturday as the No. 7 USC Trojans make the short trip on SR-110 to meet the No. 16 UCLA Bruins at 8 p.m. ET. This crosstown rivalry will take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, and will air on Fox.

USC (9-1, 7-1 Pac-12) has won three straight games heading into this matchup and a victory here would officially clinch it a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Trojans lit up Colorado in a 55-17 beating last Friday night, a game where quarterback Caleb Williams accounted for five touchdowns total. Defensive tackle Tuli Tuipulotu recorded 2.5 sacks in the victory.

UCLA (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12) took a blow last Saturday in a 34-28 upset loss to Arizona. This was a tight game throughout the evening and the Bruins briefly took the lead in the fourth quarter when running back Zach Charbonnet punched in a go-ahead touchdown. The Wildcats struck right back with a touchdown on their own and added a field goal later for good measure. UCLA's path to the Pac-12 Championship Game is a little bit blurry due to the league's tiebreaker rules, but it essentially needs to win out and get at least one loss from Washington to have a shot.

Here's all the data you'll want, and a pick for the game!

SP+ Rankings

USC: 11th overall, 7th offense, 47th defense
UCLA: 15th overall, 4th offense, 66th defense

Injury update

LB Eric Gentry – Probable (Ankle)
WR Mario Williams – Probable (Undisclosed)
RB Travis Dye – Out for the season (Knee)

No new injuries to report.

ATS/Total

USC: 6-4 ATS
UCLA: 6-4 ATS

USC: Over 7-3
UCLA: Over 7-3

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: USC -2
Total: 76
Moneyline: USC -125, UCLA +105

Opening line: USC -1
Opening total: 73.5

Weather

53 degrees, clear, 5 MPH winds NNE

The Pick

The last time the USC-UCLA rivalry had this much Pac-12 title stakes was 2005, when Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and the No. 1 Trojans destroyed the No. 11 Bruins 66-19.

This game should have an electric atmosphere at the Rose Bowl and this is a spot where this current iteration of USC was built to shine. The focus will be on Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison but Tuli Tuipulotu could be the game-wrecker as he hunts UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Give me the Trojans to cover as a slight, two-point road favorite.

  
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