UCLA vs USC Predictions Today: Best College Basketball Picks For 1/27/25

UCLA and USC clash in a Big Ten matchup on Monday night in college basketball. Get college basketball picks for today around UCLA vs USC clashing in a conference showdown in Los Angeles, CA!

Here’s a breakdown of predictions and picks for this Big Ten matchup tipping off at 10:00PM ET on January 27, 2025!

UCLA vs USC Game Details

Date: Monday, January 27, 2025
Time: 10:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM PT
Broadcast: FS1
Location: Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA
Spread: UCLA -1.5 | Total: 139.5

UCLA vs USC Preview

UCLA has climbed above .500 in Big Ten play, but the Bruins may be short-handed for this cross-town trip to USC. UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau rolled his ankle at the start of Friday’s game at Washington and was only able to play three minutes.

Bilodeau is averaging 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 50.5-percent from the field and 39.6-percent from three-point range.

Word out of Westwood is that Bilodeau wants to play in this rivalry contest, but Coach Mick Cronin may be a little more focused on the big picture and may elect to rest him before risking further injury.

This will be Eric Musselman’s first introduction into this rivalry. USC has won three of its last four games as the Trojans have also climbed back to .500 in the league after a shaky start.

Thanks to the Big Ten scheduling quirks, these teams have essentially played the same opponents in succession over the last month.

Coach Musselman has brought a different style of play to USC this season, but we’re going to look toward the under in this contest. Eight of the last ten meetings have stayed under the total, including both of last year’s games.

Only one of their last five games had a closing total above 135, so to see 139.5 on Monday morning is a little bit of an outlier compared to recent meetings.

UCLA vs USC Predictions

Both teams are outside the top-275 in three-point attempts, so we are unlikely to see a three-point shooting contest break out.

UCLA went 9-for-17 (52.9-percent) from beyond the arc against Washington on Friday, and we still only saw 125 points in that contest.

Both teams have played really good, fast-paced offenses in recent weeks (Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, etc.), and most of those games have gone over the total – The over has cashed in each of USC’s last six games, and the over is 5-1 in UCLA’s last six.

In our opinion, those results are inflating the number for this one. With Bilodeau’s status in question, look for Coach Cronin to go back to his defensive roots and turn this game into a slow grind.

UCLA vs USC Prediction: Under 139.5

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