UCLA vs. USC Spread Prediction
The UCLA Bruins are 2-8 in Chip Kelly’s first season but they could pull off a small upset against their biggest rivals on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET when a struggling USC program comes to the Rose Bowl. Will the Trojans cover or are the Bruins the play?
Game Snapshot
419 USC Trojans at 420 UCLA Bruins
3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, November 17, 2018
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Trojans are 2.5-point favorites to beat the Bruins. The total, meanwhile, sits at 54.5 points. As of this writing, 71% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Trojans.
USC Trojans
USC freshman QB J.T. Daniels completed 21-of-34 passes for 180 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in Saturday’s 15-14 loss against Cal. It was a rough one for Daniels and the Trojans offense, as the freshman was pressured early and often by a hungry Cal defensive line. The Trojans (5-5, 4-4) are officially eliminated from the Pac-12 South title hunt, and they’re struggling to just become bowl eligible at this point. They need to find a win either next week at rival UCLA or at home on Nov. 24 against playoff-hopeful and unbeaten Notre Dame.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA redshirt senior QB Wilton Speight completed 26-of-35 passes for 335 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in Saturday’s 31-28 loss to Arizona State. Speight and the Bruins nearly beat the Sun Devils on the road, which should provide a spark heading into next week’s rivalry game against the USC Trojans. The redshirt senior drew the start over freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson after replacing him last week, and he had his best game since transferring from Michigan. Speight’s 335 passing yards were the second-most of his entire career, and tight end Caleb Wilson was a big factor in them. Speight should be the starter next week once again.
Betting Trends
USC
The Trojans are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11 road games versus a team with a losing home record.
UCLA
The Bruins are 8-17 against the spread in their last 25 games overall and 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.
Prediction
The home team is 15-7 against the spread in the last 22 meetings between these two teams and the Trojans are 2-5 against the number in their last seven road games versus the Bruins. USC’s offense was shut down last week by Cal and while UCLA has struggled defensively this season, I see the Bruins being more motivated in this spot. If USC is going to get up one more time, I envision that to be Notre Dame a week from now in Southern Cal, not in this spot today.
College Football Prediction: UCLA Bruins +2.5