The No. 8 Arizona Wildcats look to bounce back after a crushing loss in their home finale as they take on the USC Trojans on Thursday night. Arizona, 24-5 (13-5 in the Pac-12) lost on a 60-foot buzzer beater last Saturday to rival Arizona State. USC, 21-8 (also 13-5 in conference play), swept the Rocky Mountain schools on the road last weekend, most recently defeating Utah 62-49 on Saturday night. Arizona has won four in a row in the series, including an 81-66 matchup on January 19th in Tucson. The Trojans are 17-12 against the spread, while the Wildcats are 13-15 ATS in 2022-23.
Tipoff is set for 11 p.m. ET at the Galen Center. The Wildcats are favored by 2 points in the latest Arizona vs. USC odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 155. Before entering any USC vs. Arizona picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 17 of the season 76-46 on all top-rated college basketball picks, returning more than $1,600 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on USC vs. Arizona. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Arizona vs. USC:
- Arizona vs. USC spread: Arizona -2
- Arizona vs. USC over/under: 155 points
- Arizona vs. USC money line: Arizona -135, USC +115
- Arizona vs. USC picks: See picks here
Why Arizona can cover
Of Arizona's five losses this season, four have come on Saturdays. The Wildcats' only weekday loss was a December 1st Thursday night dud against Utah. The stunning loss to Arizona State on Saturday was surprising in part because the Wildcats forced 23 turnovers and out-rebounded the Sun Devils by seven. Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis leads the conference in points per game (19.6) and rebounds per game (9.1) but he hasn't reached his scoring average in the last four games. A bounce back effort against the Trojans would go a long way for Arizona's chances to win.
Against USC on 1/19, Tubelis scored 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, as Arizona controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Trojans 43-36. Guard Pelle Larsson was a key contributor that night, scoring 15 points on 4 of 7 shooting despite having previously suffered a mid-season slump. Recently he's scored 10-plus in six straight games and his contributions as Arizona's primary bench scorer will make a difference on Thursday night. Arizona has won the last two games in the Galen Center, 91-71 last season and 81-72 in 2021.
Why USC can cover
The Trojans have won eight of 10 since their loss to the Wildcats in January and look to be on solid footing in terms of qualifying for this month's NCAA Tournament. A win on Thursday night over the Wildcats, however, would put them in solid position to be the No. 2 seed in next week's Pac-12 Conference Tournament in Las Vegas. The Trojans are 14-1 at home in 2022-23, with their only loss on opening night to coach Andy Enfield's former school, Florida Gulf Coast.
USC's top four scorers are guards: Boogie Ellis (17.2 points per game), Drew Peterson (14.6 PPG), Reese Dixon-Waters (9.5 PPG), and Tre White (9.0 PPG). Peterson also leads the team in rebounds (6.4) and assists (4.7). In the Trojans current four-game winning streak, Ellis has been the key cog, averaging 23 PPG and averaging four 3-pointers per contest. In the last matchup against Arizona, he was held to 11 points on 2 of 11 shooting. If that improves significantly tonight, USC's chances to pull the slight home upset will be much stronger.
How to make USC vs. Arizona picks
The model has simulated USC vs. Arizona 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins USC vs. Arizona? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine to see which side of the Arizona vs. USC spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 76-46 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
