UCLA Basketball: KenPom Odds For A Bruins Win Vs USC Revealed

UCLA enters its rivalry game against USC as the underdog.

Your UCLA Bruins head into Saturday night's matchup against crosstown rival USC as the underdog.

It's to be expected as they have lost their last five games at USC's Galen Center.

It also doesn't help that Bruins head coach Mick Cronin is 0-4 on the Trojans' home court.

According to Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times, UCLA only has a 30 percent chance of beating USC via the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings, also known as KenPom.

KenPom gives UCLA a 30% chance of beating USC tonight at the Galen Center, where Mick Cronin is 0-4. It's the first time the rivals have met with losing records since Feb. 25, 2004 (!), when UCLA was 11-12 and USC was 11-13.

USC won, 78-77, in OT at the Sports Arena.

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) January 27, 2024

In last year's matchup, the Bruins were ranked No. 8 in the nation and saw a 12-point halftime lead disappear when the Trojans went on a 25-3 run.

Boogie Ellis scored a career-high 31 points and 27 of them were in the second half.

The Bruins will have to channel their opponent's energy from last season after a similar experience against Arizona last weekend. UCLA saw a 19-point lead evaporate and lost to the Wildcats 77-1. That was after the Bruins came back from 15 down and defeated Arizona State.

Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on ESPN2. Former Bruin Bill Walton will be on the call alongside Roxy Bernstein. Radio listeners can tune into AM-1150 or SiriusXM 380 with Josh Lewin (play-by-play) and Tracy Murray (analyst).