USC vs UCLA Prediction College Basketball Picks 2/24/24

The USC Trojans will host the UCLA Bruins for a Pac-12 matchup this Saturday night from the Pauley Pavilion on ESPN. This will mark the final time these two schools meet as Pac-12 rivals, and UCLA leads the current series, 125-56, and they come in as 4.5-point home favorites, with the total hovering 133.5. Stay tuned for our UCLA vs USC Prediction. 

Southern Cal Trojans Preview

USC dropped to 10-16 after losing to Colorado in LA by three, 92-89. The Trojans were edged out in double overtime by the Buffaloes, and they’ll attempt to bounce back here against their crosstown foes. Southern Cal is scoring 74.7 points per game, on 44.7% shooting, while allowing 72.5 ppg, and they’re currently 11th in the Pac-12 with a 4-11 record in league play. The Trojans are 2-8 over their last ten games, and they’ve gone 1-8 on the road this season. 

USC Team Profile

• Andy Enfield’s group is guard-heavy and likes to play an up-tempo style, averaging 74.4 possessions per game (72nd), and they’re a solid three-point shooting team, connecting on 35.4% of their attempts (107th).  
• Veteran guard Boogie Ellis’ return to the lineup led to A win over Oregon State, and he leads SC in scoring (16.8).  
• Freshman guard Isaiah Collier scored a team-high 20 points in the loss to Cal, and he’s second on the team at 15.6 ppg. 
• Wazzu transfer DJ Rodman grabbed 14 boards in the Oregon State victory, and he leads USC in rebounding (5.0), while averaging 7.8 ppg.  

UCLA Bruins Preview

UCLA improved to 13-11 after defeating California in Berkeley by one, 61-60. The Bruins held off a fierce rally from the Golden Bears, and they’ll seek a sixth straight win when the Buffaloes come to town. UCLA is scoring 66.2 points per game, on 41.7% shooting, while allowing 64.0 ppg, and they’re currently 4th in the Pac-12 with a 9-6 record in conference play. The Bruins are 8-2 over their previous ten games, and they’ve gone 8-5 in Los Angeles this season. 

UCLA Team Profile

• Mick Cronin’s group has played through their defense this season, averaging 67.0 possessions per game (337th), and they’ve shot poorly from deep, hitting 32.4% of their threes (253rd).
• Freshman guard Sebastian Mack came thru with a game-high 21 points in the road win over Stanford, and he leads UCLA in scoring (13.3).
• Second-year guard David Andrews has tallied 18 points or more in three of the last four games, and he’s up to 11.2 ppg and a team-leading 3.7 apg. 
• Sophomore big Adem Bona led the way with 18 points in the Oregon State victory, and he leads the Bruins in rebounding (6.0), while scoring 12.2 ppg. 
• Utah transfer Lazar Stefanovic grabbed a season-high 13 boards in the win over Cal, and he’s averaging 11.0 ppg and 6.3 rpg.

Southern Cal vs UCLA Trends

• USC is 11-15 against the spread, with a 17-9 O/U record
• UCLA is 13-12-1 ATS, with a 10-16 over/under record.

USC vs UCLA Prediction

It initially looked as if both USC and UCLA were going to bow out of the Pac-12 on sad notes, but a memorable midseason turnaround by the latter has changed the outlook of their campaign to an extent. The Bruins have NIT written all over them, but that’s better than the way things were looking at the top of 2024, as they’ve won eight of their last ten games. The Trojans were never able to get things going this season, and while the UCLA matchup gives them every reason to rise for the occasion, I’d rather lean on the hot, motivated hosting team here. UCLA isn’t winning these games by that much, so I’d alt their margin, and back them for this crosstown battle.

Corey Ghee's Pick: UCLA to COVER