The University of Colorado hosts USC in a Pac-12 battle Thursday night! It's time to continue our college basketball odds series with a USC-Colorado prediction and pick.

USC comes into this game as one of the top teams in the country. They are currently No. 16 with a 14-2 record. USC earned their way up to No. 5 but fell to Stanford back on Jan. 11, and then Oregon two games later. The undefeated streak was fun while it lasted, but now they must get back on another win streak if they want to continue being a top-ranked team. The Pac-12 has just a few elite squads this year, Arizona and UCLA are both ranked higher than USC and it's going to be exciting when those squads finally meet.

Colorado is also enjoying a great start to the season. This is a team that usually isn't elite in basketball, but those times are starting to change. The Buffaloes are 12-4 and 4-2 in conference play this year. This is an improved team, but they don't have any legit wins this season. Their biggest wins of the season came against Stanford and Washington, who are average teams at best. A win here for Colorado will move them up in the conference standings and they could possibly enter the top-25 rankings if they stay consistent.

Here are the USC-Colorado college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel

College Basketball Odds: USC-Colorado Odds

USC: -2 (-110)

Colorado: +2 (-110)

Over: 137 (-110)

Under: 137 (-110)

*Watch College Basketball Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)

Why USC Could Cover The Spread

USC contains one of the top players in the country in Isaiah Mobley. Mobley averages 15.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on the season. He's one of the few players in the NCAA that average at least 15 points and nine rebounds. If USC is going to cover this spread, then Mobley will be a huge reason why. These two teams are pretty similar when it comes to offense and defense, but USC has the slight edge on both. The Trojans will need to force turnovers and not allow Colorado's two elite forwards to beat them. Jabari Walker and Evan Battey both average north of 12 points for the Buffaloes and can score very well. USC is coming off a bad loss to Oregon, so they must bounce back with a great game if they are to cover this spread.

Click here for our Risk Free $1000 Bet!

*To claim, all new users need to do is register, make a first deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook up to $1000! If a user loses their first wager, we’ll refund their loses in the form of a free-bet up to $1000!*

Why Colorado Could Cover The Spread

Colorado has a great chance to cover this spread. They are being given two points at home which is doable. The Buffaloes are 9-1 at home this season and USC is 4-1 away from home. Those are two records that make this a tough one to figure out who is better, but usually, the home teams have a slight advantage. Colorado will need to contain Mobley and not let his size and versatility beat them. Mobley is a mismatch on just about every defender, but the two stars for Colorado have the length as well and they certainly won't let it be easy for Mobley. If the Buffaloes are shooting the ball well, then they will be in this game until the end.

Final USC-Colorado Prediction & Pick

I think USC has the reasons to win this game. They are the better team but beating another solid team on the road is no easy task. It's not a large spread at all so I think this is very doable for the Trojans.

Final USC-Colorado Prediction & Pick: USC -2 (-110)