The No. 21 UCLA Bruins will be in for a tough test this week as they go up against the USC Trojans on the road. The Trojans are right behind UCLA in the Pac-12 standings, but can they overcome the challenge of UCLA? Check out our preview of this game below.
The Bruins are back to their winning ways after scoring a 57-52 victory over the Oregon State Beavers at home last Saturday, though they failed to cover the spread as 11.5-point favorites. UCLA shot just 32.7 percent from the field against the Beavers and prior to that, they made only 41.7 percent of their shots in a 73-72 road loss to the Stanford Cardinal. UCLA is hoping to be better on offense against USC, but the Trojans have an elite defense that’s likely to make things hard for the Bruins. However, UCLA has no shortage of guns on offense. The team has five players averaging at least 10.6 points per game, led by Jaime Jaquez (12.6 PPG) and Johnny Juzang (11.9 PPG). The Bruins are 77th in the nation with 75.1 points per game and 15th nationally in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency with 114.6 points per 100 possessions. UCLA’s outside shooting will be key in stretching and loosening up USC’s defense. UCLA is tops in the Pac-12 with a 40.6 percent shooting from behind the arc.
UCLA is 6-4 against the spread in its last 10 road games.
USC has to deal with the Stanford Cardinal this Tuesday before it can fully prepare for the Bruins. In their most recent game, as of this writing, the Bruins scored a 75-62 victory over the Beavers at home on Jan. 28. USC’s defense put the Beavers’ attack in neutral mode, as Oregon State couldn’t establish a nice rhythm offensively. The Beavers were held down to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field — that’s the second game in a row in which the Trojans limited its opponent to below 35 percent shooting. On the season, USC is allowing just 64.5 points per game and just 0.939 points per 100 defensive possessions. Teams are also making just 37.4 percent of their shots against USC. The Trojans are the best rebounding team in the Pac-12, with 41.6 rebounds per game and third in assists with 15.0 dimes per contest in conference play.
USC is 6-4 against the spread in its last 10 home games.
