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The USC Trojans take on the Colorado Buffaloes. Check out our college basketball odds series for our USC Colorado prediction and pick. Find out how to watch USC Colorado.
The Colorado Buffaloes have been all over the map this season. Their 28-point win over Texas A&M in the nonconference portion of the schedule looks a million times more improbable, given that A&M has just two losses in the SEC and is a solidly established NCAA Tournament team under head coach Buzz Williams. Colorado also beat Tennessee by double figures, which is crazy in light of the reality that the Volunteers will be a top-three seed at the NCAA Tournament and beat No. 1 Alabama earlier in February. You would think, in light of those results, that Colorado is a strong NCAA Tournament in its own right.
Not so.
The Buffaloes lost to Grambling. They lost to Cal. They almost lost to Stanford. They have struggled in the Pac-12 and are not in the top half of the conference. They are tied for eighth entering this game. They are one of the most confusing teams in the country. They'll try to topple USC and push the Trojans into the NIT. USC is trying to play its way into the NCAA Tournament.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the USC-Colorado College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: USC-Colorado Odds
USC Trojans: +2.5 (-110)
Colorado Buffaloes: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 140.5 (-110)
Under: 140.5 (-110)
How To Watch USC vs. Colorado
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Article Continues Below
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch USC-Colorado LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why USC Could Cover the Spread
The Buffaloes are, as noted above, quite erratic. They can be really good, but would you really want to trust that the Buffs will get the job done? One also has to point out that USC is going to be able to play freshman big man Vince Iwuchukwu at least 20 minutes if needed. Iwuchukwu is still operating under a minutes restriction in which he won't play 30 or more minutes. He doesn't have unlimited freedom to play after suffering cardiac arrest last July and being given medical clearance to play on January 12. However, merely getting 20 minutes from Iwuchukwu will give USC more of an interior presence and more of a rebounding presence against a Colorado team which punished the Trojans on the glass in the first meeting between these two teams. USC also has Josh Morgan back into the lineup after he missed several games earlier in February. The Trojans are healthier and deeper, and it will matter.
Why Colorado Could Cover the Spread
This Colorado team is unpredictable, but it is feisty and tough. Colorado won on the road at Arizona State last week, and it had an early double-digit lead in Tucson against the Arizona Wildcats before Arizona rallied to win. This team is not quitting on its season or coach Tad Boyle. The Buffs, as noted above, did rebound the ball really well against USC in the first meeting between these teams in January in Los Angeles.
One also has to note that USC has not been a good road team this season. The Trojans' last Pac-12 road win was at Arizona State one month ago. USC's only three road wins in Pac-12 play this season came against Cal just after Thanksgiving, then at Washington on Dec. 30, and against Arizona State. That's a very thin body of work, and it reinforces the point that USC has not yet established itself as a fully trustworthy team.
Final USC-Colorado Prediction & Pick
You should stay away from this game, but if you lean to one side, take Colorado given USC's noticeable road woes.
Final USC-Colorado Prediction & Pick: Colorado -2.5
