The Arizona Wildcats are set to face the USC Trojans. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Arizona USC prediction, odds, and pick.
The Arizona Wildcats appeared to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they ran into a roadblock this past Saturday in Boulder, Colorado. College basketball odds experts took note when Arizona — up five at halftime — got smashed in the second half. The Wildcats were outscored 47-26 and suffered a 79-63 blowout loss which puts them in danger of falling off the No. 1 line and down to a No. 2 seed. Part of the problem for Arizona if it falls to a No. 2 seed is that it could be slotted in the West Region with Gonzaga, which is not what the Cats want to see. They would like to be in the South Region, playing the Sweet 16 in San Antonio with Gonzaga nowhere to be found. They need to beat USC to move back up to the one line, and they would have to win a few more games in addition to the USC game to shore up their status as a possible top seed on Selection Sunday. Consider that point when making your Arizona USC prediction.
Arizona exists in a Pac-12 which is top-heavy and is expected to put just three teams into the NCAA Tournamnent. Oregon might get in as a fourth team, but the Ducks might need to beat Arizona next week at the Pac-12 Tournament. The larger point with Arizona is that the Pac-12 was such a breeze for most of the season that the Colorado game represented an abrupt change in the trajectory of the Wildcats' season. How Arizona responds to that setback will tell us a lot about this group and its true readiness for March. This is part of the calculus when evaluating the Arizona USC odds.
USC has transcended the college basketball odds this season. Stop and ask yourself if you thought back in November that this team — without Evan Mobley, who is crushing it as an NBA rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers — would win more regular-season games than last year's team, which had Mobley as its centerpiece player. USC has a chance to get an NCAA Tournament seed which is higher than last year's Evan Mobley team. USC could win 15 Pac-12 games in back-to-back seasons. The Trojans are clearly improving as a program, and what makes their journey even more improbable is that they have dealt with a COVID-19 pause in mid-January which clearly interrupted their rhythm. They had started the season 13-0 but then struggled in January. USC has had to deal with injuries to Isaiah Mobley and Isaiah White. The Trojans had to play Oregon at home in front of no fans, which might have cost USC a victory there. USC has had a lot of bad breaks, and yet this team is 9-1 in games decided by five points or fewer. This is a clutch team which might struggle for the first 35 minutes of a game but regularly manages to sharpen its game in the final five minutes of regulation. This is part of the mystery surrounding an Arizona USC pick.
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Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Arizona-USC odds:
College Basketball Odds: Arizona-USC Odds
Arizona: -4.5 (-110)
USC: +4.5 (-110)
Over: 150.5 (-110)
Under: 150.5 (-110)
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Why Arizona Could Cover the Spread
The Wildcats know they need this game to get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They are unlikely to play poorly in two straight games. They also didn't play that well the first time against USC on February 5. They will be motivated.
Why USC Could Cover the Spread
The Trojans have been overcoming the odds all year. They just won on the road in Oregon, on a night when they were coming off an exhausting double-overtime win over Oregon State a few days earlier. They beat UCLA without Isaiah Mobley. This team doesn't care about the odds.
Final Arizona-USC Prediction & Pick
Arizona should win, but USC doesn't care about the word “should.” The Trojans have been confounding the odds this season. They'll do so again.
Final Arizona-USC Pick: USC +4.5
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