The Pac-12’s top team will be on the road when the USC Trojans (14-3) head to Pauley Pavilion to face the UCLA Bruins (11-6). Action begins at 11:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Bruins enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Arizona State 81-74 on Saturday. Isaac Hamilton was the team’s leading scorer with 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting. The Trojans, meanwhile, are coming off a 103-101 win against Arizona on Saturday. Elijah Stewart led the game in scoring by registering 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting.
Hamilton has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Bruins. During that stretch, he has averaged 20.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers.
Despite being 11-6 Straight Up (SU), the Bruins have struggled to cover the spread in most of their matchups, only managing a record of 6-11 Against The Spread (ATS). Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for UCLA in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.7 offensive boards per game.
In the other locker room, the Trojans have 14-3 SU and 12-5 ATS records. USC performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Trojans rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 42nd in the nation with 146 made (8.0 per game). Defensive rebounding is an area where USC has excelled. The Trojans average 28.4 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
These conference foes will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, UCLA came out on top, bumping its SU record to 9-1 over USC in their most recent meetings. Furthermore, UCLA holds the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. UCLA held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, while USC was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – USC, ATS Winner – USC
Notes
UCLA is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
UCLA is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of UCLA’s last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of UCLA’s last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of UCLA’s last 5 games when playing USC.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of UCLA’s last 6 games when playing at home against USC.
USC won its last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, UCLA is 2-3. USC is 2-1 in close games this season.
Ranked 60th, the USC Trojans have an offensive rating of 112.2. The UCLA Bruins rank 241st with a defensive rating of just 105.5.
UCLA has an average field goal percentage of 46.2%. USC is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UCLA Bruins rank higher based on their field goal percentage (79th) than their effective field goal percentage (139th). The USC Trojans rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (57th) than their field goal percentage (65th).
UCLA ranks 66th in assists, recording 15.6 per game. USC ranks 62nd with 15.8 assists per game.
USC, the second-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 6.8 per game. UCLA ranks lower at 202nd with 3.2.
USC is one of the top defensive rebounding teams, ranking seventh. UCLA ranks 26th in offensive rebounding.
On average, UCLA makes 5.8 steals per game. USC has a solid 7-3 record when it gives up at least 5 steals.
