The Long Beach State 49ers take on the USC Trojans. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Long Beach State USC prediction and pick.

The Long Beach State 49ers present an interesting profile. They're 4-5 through nine games, but that 4-5 record might not indicate how good (or mediocre) the 49ers are. Their losses have generally come against good teams. They lost to UCLA, a top team in the Pac-12. They lost to Montana State, which is a favorite to win the Big Sky championship and has been playing well this season. They lost to North Texas, a good mid-major team which plays really tough defense and recently defeated WAC contender Grand Canyon. They lost to a Utah Valley team which just pounded BYU by 15 points on the road and lost by only three points on the road at Wake Forest, which might be a bubble team for the 2023 NCAA Tournament. There really aren't bad losses on the Long Beach State resume, and the other point to make is that the 49ers have been testing themselves against good opponents. We will see if these early-season tests create a better team as the season moves along.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Long Beach State-USC College Basketball odds.

College Basketball Odds: Long Beach State-USC Odds

Long Beach State 49ers: +11.5 (-110)

USC Trojans: -11.5 (-110)

Over: 146.5 (-110)

Under: 146.5 (-110)

Why Long Beach State Could Cover the Spread

The point spread is large, given that Long Beach State has lost to a lot of good teams this season and might be better than its 4-5 record might initially suggest. Long Beach State doesn't have to play a great game to cover. As long as it plays a solid, steady, above-average game, that should be enough.

Keep in mind that USC does not have big man Vince Iwuchukwu, a five-star recruit, in its lineup. Iwuchukwu suffered cardiac arrest in July. He is recovering, but doctors have not cleared him to play. Iwuchukwu was supposed to be the big man who anchored this lineup and gave USC the elite rim protector and rebounder coach Andy Enfield has been good at recruiting in recent years. Onyeka Okongwu and Evan Mobley were lottery picks. Iwuchukwu had a chance to be that next high-impact big man. He still might become that big man, but probably not this season due to his health concerns. USC does not have the roster it hoped to have. This is an incomplete team which does not shoot 3-pointers well and struggles to score consistently. Long Beach State can definitely keep this game close.

Why USC Could Cover the Spread

This is a Long Beach State team which has played decent opponents but is still 4-5 through nine games. You are what you are, and Long Beach State has a losing record through nine games. The 49ers don't deserve a participation medal for failing to win those games. This team still did lose them, and we need to see more from the 49ers before we upgrade them in an overall evaluation.

The other point to make entering this game is that USC's role players are getting better. A good example is Kobe Johnson, who has scored in double figures in two recent games and is gaining more of a comfort zone on court. If he and Reese Dixon-Waters can play at a noticeably better level, USC's ceiling will rise, even without Iwuchukwu. Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson draw a lot of attention from opposing defenses. USC's role players can benefit from that and help the Trojans win big.

Final Long Beach State-USC Prediction & Pick

USC just doesn't have all the pieces it needs. That's not a criticism of the team, more a reflection of the fact that Iwuchukwu's health problems have left this roster undermanned. Long Beach State will keep this game close and cover.

Final Long Beach State-USC Prediction & Pick: Long Beach State +11.5