Key Points
- SJ breaks down her best bets and predictions for the Big Ten Tournament Championship matchup featuring UCLA and USC
The Big Ten Tournament championship is here, and it comes down to two of the top teams in all of NCAA Women's basketball.
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No. 4 UCLA (29-2) will face off against cross-town rival No. 2 USC (28-2) for the Big Ten trophy. While a close matchup is impending, the USC Trojans are tabbed as -2.5 point favorites.
With USC earning the No.1 seed, the Trojans overcame a five-point deficit to defeat Indiana 84-79 and 82-70 victory over Michigan. For UCLA, they beat a non-ranked Nebraska team 85-74 and Ohio State, 75-46.
Set to face off for the third time this year, USC holds a 2-0 lead over UCLA. With that said, it's extremely difficult to pull off three straight victories over one team. Either way, it will be pure cinema for bettors featuring two of the best teams in the country! JuJu Watkins vs Lauren Betts, what's better than that?
Odds Are Current As Of March 9 AT 11 A.M. ET
If you're looking to bet on NCAA Women's basketball, let's rock! Set to take place at 4:30 p.m. ET, UCLA and USC will air on CBS/Paramount.
With that said, who will come out on top as winners of the Big Ten Tournament Championship? Regardless of who wins the Big Ten, both teams are poised to make a deep run in this year's NCAA March Madness tournament.
Here are the Big Ten Tournament odds and my best predictions for the UCLA vs USC March 9 matchup.
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NCAA Big Ten Tournament Championship Bets: UCLA Bruins vs USC Trojans FanDuel Odds For March 9
MONEYLINE
- UCLA BRUINS: -108
- USC TROJANS: -112
SPREAD
- UCLA BRUINS: +1.5 (-120)
- USC TROJANS: -1.5 (-102)
OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)
- OVER: 142.5 (-110)
- UNDER: 142.5 (-110)
2024-2024 HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHUPS: UCLA VS USC
- February 13, 2025: USC 71, UCLA 60
- March 1, 2025: USC 80, UCLA 67
NCAA Big Ten Tournament Championship: UCLA vs USC Predictions for Sunday, March 9
Best Spread Bet: UCLA vs USC
- Under 142.5 Points (-110 FanDuel))
My first prediction for the Big Ten Tournament, I placed on unit on the UCLA vs USC matchup to total under 142.5 points for -110 odds.
Stakes are high, and all eyes will be on these two teams, as they battle for the Big Ten crown. With that said, I do believe this total is high, especially for the moment.
The UCLA Bruins are one of the best teams on the defensive end, limiting opponents to 57.4 points per game. With that, teams have shot an abysmal 29.1 percent beyond the arc against the Bruins this season. In addition, UCLA ranks No.3 in NCAA D1 Women's Basketball in opponent field goal percentage (35 %).
Those are some astonishing numbers backed by Lauren Betts, who's in the running for NPOY.
- An elite rim protector, Betts is averaging 2.9 blocks alone on the season, which ranks No.5.
Limiting teams to 60.1 points over the last 10 games, we saw UCLA hold Ohio State to 52 and 46 points. In that Big Ten Semifinal vs the Buckeyes, the Bruins didn't need Betts to score until the second quarter. With six steals and four blocks, the Bruins held Ohio State to 33.3 percent field goal shooting and 3-10 from downtown.
I do think UCLA took their foot off the gas a bit, who allowed Nebraska to score 74 points on 30-62 field goal shooting (48.6 %).
- While defense isn't Nebraska's strong suit, UCLA poured in 85 points.
Why This Big Ten Matchup Featuring UCLA vs USC Can Soar Under
Soaring under in their first meeting, USC defeated UCLA 71-60, in which the total soared under at 131 points. Struggling to get anything going offensively, the Bruins shot just 35.1 percent from the floor, and 15.4 percent from downtown. Aside from Betts, Kiki Rice, and Janaiah Bakere were the sole players to record points in double figures.
Mind you, the total was that low even with a masterclass performance by JuJu Watkins. Scoring over 50 percent of the USC Trojan's total points, Watkins finished with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Aside from JuJu Watkins, one player recorded 10+ points, and that was Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen.
- USC showed struggles against the Bruins, scoring just nine points in the third quarter. With all this information, the under certainly has a strong case.
Although their second meeting totaled 147 points, there was the same tune. With JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen combining for 47 of the Trojans 80 points, The Bruins didn't have an answer once again on the offensive end. You simply can't have a high total shooting 36.1 percent from the field and 25 percent beyond the arc.
Final Big Ten Tournament Championship Betting Prediction: UCLA vs USC Under 142.5 Points (-110 FanDuel)
Overall, this is a matchup of two of the best defensive teams in NCAA Women's basketball.
- Limiting opponents to 59.4 points this season, teams are shooting a limited 28.2 percent beyond the arc against them.
Given UCLA and USC are top 20 teams in scoring, they've proven themselves a dominant power houses on both sides of the ball. Even if USC's four of the last five cashing the over, I'm still inclined to take the under. Averaging 80 points over the first two games of the Big Ten Tournament, there's signs of life for UCLA on the offensive end.
- With both teams on the biggest stage, I'm expecting defense to kick in today. While JuJu Watkins and Lauren Betts will headline the matchup, I'm going with the under today.
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