UCLA vs. USC Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Saturday, March 7

If you're looking for a late-night college basketball game to bet on Saturday, look no further than the Big Ten showdown between UCLA and USC.

USC would have to go on a Cinderella run in the Big Ten tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but UCLA has likely done enough to earn an at-large bid. With that being said, avoiding a bad loss to the Trojans would make them feel a lot more comfortable come Selection Sunday.

Let's take a look at the odds and my best bet for this late-night game.

UCLA vs. USC Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

UCLA -5.5 (-102)
USC +5.5 (-120)

Moneyline

UCLA -210
USC +172

Total

OVER 150.5 (-115)
UNDER 150.5 (-105)

UCLA vs. USC How to Watch

Date: Saturday, March 7
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET
Venue: Galen Center
How to Watch (TV): FS1
UCLA Record: 20-10 (12-7 in Big Ten)
Ohio Record: 18-12 (7-12 in Big Ten)

UCLA vs. USC Betting Trends

The OVER is 6-3 in UCLA's last nine games
UCLA is 4-1 ATS in its last five games vs. USC
USC is 0-5 ATS in its last five games
THe UNDER is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings between these two teams

UCLA vs. USC Key Player to Watch

Donovan Dent, G - UCLA Bruins

Donovan Dent torched the Trojans in the first meeting between these two teams. He put up 30 points, along with eight assists and two rebounds, while not committing a single turnover. If he can have another game like that, USC has no hope of winning this game.

UCLA vs. USC Prediction and Pick

There are things to like about USC in this game, like its ability to attack the weakness of the UCLA defense, but the Trojans just don't do enough simple things right for me to bet them with the spread set at 5.5. For example, the Trojans rank 223rd in the country in effective field goal percentage, so while they will try to attack the UCLA front court, they just don't shoot the ball well enough to truly take advantage.

USC also has a significant turnover issue, turning the ball over on 17.2% of its possessions. Their turnover rate is 3.9% higher than UCLA's, which is a significant difference over the course of a game.

I'll lay the points on the Bruins to end their season on a high note.

Pick: UCLA -5.5 (-102)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!