It’s time for a crosstown rivalry as the USC Trojans make the short trip to Pauley Pavilion to face the UCLA Bruins in a game televised on FS1 at 11pm ET.
After a massive 95-94 comeback win over Illinois, the Bruins aim to further strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume in a winnable matchup.
My college basketball picks and USC vs. UCLA predictions on Tuesday, February 24, are backing Mick Cronin’s squad to continue building momentum.
USC vs UCLA prediction
USC vs UCLA best bet: UCLA -6.5 (-116)
With his back against the wall and seemingly the entire college basketball media landscape calling for his head, Mick Cronin responded with a coaching masterclass as the UCLA Bruins erased a 23-point deficit to defeat a top-5 Illinois in overtime.
The Bruins moved to a five-out lineup made possible by the return of guard Skyy Clark (team-high +6.10 BPR). The new-look lineup should continue clicking against a poor USC Trojans team that recently suffered a 36-point loss against that same Illinois squad.
A projected 11-seed (BracketMatrix), UCLA needs to continue stacking wins, and Cronin is coaching like his job depends on it.
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USC vs UCLA same-game parlay
USC likes to push the pace, ranking 17th in adjusted tempo over the last month (BartTorvik). The torrid pace, combined with UCLA’s newfound five-out tendencies and extra spacing allowed by Clark’s mastery from longrange (2.4 three-pointers per game on 48.2% shooting), should make for a high-scoring game.
Both teams are trending to the Over: USC is 5-2 O/U in its last seven, while UCLA is 5-1 O/U in its last six.
The increased tempo and altered lineup decisions will lead to more rebounding opportunities for Tyler Bilodeau, who is averaging 6.3 boards across his last seven games.
USC vs UCLA SGP
- Over 150.5
- UCLA -6.5
- Tyler Bilodeau Over 5.5 rebounds
Our beyond the arc SGP: Bilodeau blazing from three
Bilodeau is on fire from distance, averaging 2.6 three-pointers on 50% shooting in his last five games.
USC vs UCLA SGP
- UCLA -6.5
- Over 150.5
- Tyler Bilodeau Over 5.5 rebounds
- Tyler Bilodeau Over 2.5 three-pointers
USC vs UCLA odds
- Spread: USC +7.5 (-110) | UCLA -7.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: USC +275 | UCLA -350
- Over/Under: Over 150.5 (-110) | Under 150.5 (-110)
USC vs UCLA betting trend to know
USC is 2-4 ATS in its last six games. Find more college basketball betting trends for USC vs. UCLA.
How to watch USC vs UCLA
| Location | Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Tuesday, February 24, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 11:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
USC vs UCLA key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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