The USC Trojans take on the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles, CA. Tip-off is set for 11 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
UCLA is favored by 6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -280. The total is set at 150.5 points.
Here’s my USC vs. UCLA prediction and college basketball picks for February 24, 2026.
USC vs UCLA Prediction
My Pick: USC +6.5 (Play to +6)
My USC vs UCLA best bet is on the Trojans to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
USC vs. UCLA Odds
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 150.5 -115 / -105 | +230 |
| UCLA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 150.5 -115 / -105 | -280 |
- USC vs UCLA spread: UCLA -6.5
- USC vs UCLA over/under: 150.5 points
- USC vs UCLA moneyline: USC +230, UCLA -280
USC vs UCLA Live Odds (Kalshi)
If you want to trade on USC vs UCLA at Kalshi, sign up using our Kalshi promo code. This prediction market app is legal in most states and offers a variety of unique markets.
USC vs UCLA College Basketball Betting Preview
USC Basketball
The Trojans enter this one having lost three straight games, most recently a brutal one-point defeat at home to Oregon. In other words, USC is squarely on the bubble.
Injuries have been the main story for the Trojans in year two under Eric Musselman.
Rodney Rice and Amarion Dickerson went down early in the season. Alijah Arenas didn’t make his season debut until mid-January. Then Chad Baker-Mazara missed three games this month, but he did just return to the lineup on Saturday.
Arenas and Baker-Mazara fit Musselman’s preferred mold — big, downhill guards who can score in isolation and get to the free-throw line. Those two, along with old-school interior scorer Ezra Ausar, are the reason USC ranks third in the country in free-throw rate.
Still, the Trojans rank 17th in the Big Ten in offensive efficiency during league play, largely due to a high turnover rate and poor outside shooting — under 30% from 3.
Defense has been a strength for USC. The Trojans rank seventh in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency and own the second-best block rate in the conference.
UCLA Basketball
It’s been quite a season for the Bruins. From dramatic finishes to Mick Cronin’s viral press conferences, there has been no shortage of attention on this program.
Cronin secured a massive Quad 1 win over Illinois at home on Saturday. The Bruins trailed by as many as 23 points before mounting a tremendous comeback, capped by Donovan Dent’s buzzer-beating layup in overtime.
Dent finished with 13 points and 15 assists in the win. The prize of the transfer portal has become the engine of the UCLA offense, alongside leading scorer and do-it-all big Tyler Bilodeau, who's averaging 18.1 points per game on 51/46/86 shooting splits.
UCLA’s offense has also received a boost from the return of Skyy Clark, who missed a month but has played in the last three games and knocked down two triples in each. While Clark was out, Trent Perry stepped into the starting lineup and thrived with the increased opportunity.
The Bruins rank top-20 nationally in turnover rate and are shooting 37.9% from 3-point range this season.
The defense has been more inconsistent. UCLA sits in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency, has struggled protecting the rim (14th in 2-point percentage defense) and ranks second to last in the league in defensive rebounding rate.
USC vs. UCLA Betting Analysis
Expect a highly competitive rivalry matchup between two bubble teams.
From a matchup standpoint, there are real concerns about UCLA’s ability to keep USC’s stars away from the rim, particularly with its undersized guards and the slower-footed Bilodeau.
For the Bruins, the key will be forcing turnovers and executing at a high level offensively — both of which they’re capable of.
I expect UCLA to find a way to win at home, building off the emotional comeback victory over Illinois. However, I’ll take the points with USC on the road. The Trojans should be able to hang around through the individual scoring ability of their stars and keep this game within striking distance.
My Pick: USC +6.5 (Play to +6)
