The Arizona Wildcats (24-6) travel to face off against the USC Trojans (13-17) on Saturday, March 9th. This game will be played at Galen Center in Los Angeles and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.
Arizona Wildcats vs USC Trojans
The Arizona Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Arizona comes into this game as the favorite, as they have been in 28 of their 30 games this season. The Wildcats have a record of 22-6 as the favorite, compared to 2-0 as the underdog.
On the road, Arizona is 8-5 this season, and they have won their last five games away from home. Their average scoring margin on the road is +5.6 points per game.
Arizona has been solid against the spread this season, going 20-10 overall. On the road, they have an ATS mark of 8-5, and over their last 10 games as the favorite, they are 7-3 vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for Arizona games is 15-14-1, and today’s line of 159.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (158). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 163 points compared to the season average of 163.3 points per game.
The USC Trojans Are Coming Off A Win
After picking up a win over Arizona State, USC will look to make it three in a row and improve on their 9-7 home record. On the season, the Trojans are 13-17, including a 7-12 record in Pac-12 play.
As the underdog, USC has struggled this season, going just 2-11. They will enter this game as 7.5-point underdogs, which is the 13th time this season they have been the underdog. So far, they are 2-10 in those games.
As the underdog, USC has gone 5-8 vs. the spread this season and 14-16 overall. At home, the Trojans have an ATS mark of 7-9 and are just 1-2 in their last three games vs. the spread at home.
So far this season, the over/under record for USC games is 19-10-1. Today’s over/under line of 159.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (147.4). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total in those games is 152 points.
Arizona Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Arizona offense ended with 88 points against UCLA. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 51.9% and made 9 threes. On the offensive front, the Wildcats have a season-long field goal percentage of 49%, ranking 32nd nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 44th in terms of percentage and 126th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Love (G) | 19.3 | 5.0 | 3.5 |
| Pelle Larsson (G) | 13.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Oumar Ballo (C) | 13.0 | 10.0 | 0.9 |
USC Offense Breakdown
Coming off a good offensive performance, USC’s offense scored 81 points against Arizona State. Their field goal percentage for the game was 45.8%, and they went 25/30 from the free-throw line. Leading the team in scoring was Boogie Ellis with 28 points. Kobe Johnson also added 15 points for the Trojans.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boogie Ellis (G) | 17.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Isaiah Collier (G) | 16.6 | 2.7 | 4.2 |
| Kobe Johnson (G) | 10.4 | 4.4 | 3.2 |
Arizona Team Defense
At present, the Wildcats’ defense is nationally ranked 206th, allowing 73.0 points per game. Arizona will look once again to perform well on defense, holding UCLA to just 39% shooting in their most recent game.
USC Team Defense
The Trojans’ defense is presently ranked 249th nationally, allowing an average of 74.8 points per contest. Against Arizona State in their most recent game, the USC defense gave up a total of 73 points while allowing Arizona State to hit 45% of their shots.
Wildcats vs Trojans Trends
- Arizona has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 5-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 92 points per game while allowing 77. The team also performed well vs the spread at 5-0.
- USC has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 72 points per game while allowing 68. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
- Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, USC has an ATS mark of 3-2 while going 2-3 straight up.
- Arizona has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
Wildcats vs Trojans Prediction
Coming in as the underdogs at +7.5, we have the Trojans as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 159.5 and our model has the Wildcats and Trojans finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 9, 2024 Arizona Wildcats, USC Trojans