Planning on watching today’s Trojans and Wildcats game? Catch the action at McKale Center in Tucson, AZ, as the Wildcats hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPN. This Pac-12 conference matchup has an over/under of 159.5 points, and the Wildcats are favored to win at home vs. the Trojans.

USC TROJANS VS ARIZONA WILDCATS BETTING PICK

The Pick: USC Trojans +19.5

This game will be played at McKale Center at 10:00 ET on Wednesday, January 17th.

WHY BET THE USC TROJANS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Wildcats.
  • Even though we have Arizona winning straight-up, we like USC at +19.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 159.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Do the Trojans Stand a Chance on the Road?

The USC Trojans will enter tonight’s game as 19.5-point underdogs. So far this season, they have gone 0-4 when they are the underdog. They are also 2-5 on the road, and their average scoring margin away from home is -2.7 points per game.

USC’s overall record this year is 8-9, and they have lost two straight games. In their most recent outing, they fell to Colorado by a score of 68-58. Over their last 10 road games, they have gone 4-6.

Against the spread, USC has gone 8-9 this season. As the underdog, they are 1-3 vs. the spread. On the road, their ATS mark is 3-4. Over the last 10 games as the underdog, the Trojans are 4-6.

So far this season, the over/under record for USC is 12-5 and today’s line of 159.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (148.2). However, their last three games have averaged just 144 points compared to their season average of 151.2. Over their last 10 games, the over/under record is 7-3.

In contrast to their season average of 76.8 points per game, the USC had a below average performance. They scored 58 points against Colorado and had a field goal percentage of 36.1%. Oziyah Sellers led the scoring for the Trojans, contributing 18 points. Additionally, VIncent Iwuchukwu chipped in with 10 points.

At present, the Trojans’ defense is nationally ranked 214th, allowing 74.4 points per game. The USC defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 68 points and allowed Colorado to connect on 5 threes.

Can the Wildcats Secure a Win at Home?

The Wildcats have been dominant at home this season, going 9-0 with an average scoring margin of +34.3 points per game. They have won nine straight games at home, and over their last 10, they have gone 9-1.

So far this season, Arizona has been favored in 15 of their 16 games, going 11-4 in those games. They are coming off a 73-70 loss to Washington State.

Arizona has been a solid bet against the spread this season with a 12-4 record. At home, the Wildcats are a perfect 9-0 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, Arizona is 6-4 vs. the spread.

Arizona’s over/under record for the season sits at 7-8-1 and today’s line of 159.5 is similar to the average over/under line in their games this year (159.2). So far, 9 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 151 points and their OU record over their last 10 games is 5-4-1.

In contrast to their season average of 91.2 points per game, the Arizona had a below average performance. They scored 70 points against Washington State and had a field goal percentage of 34.7%. The team’s top scorer is Caleb Love, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 18.3, while Oumar Ballo also maintains a PPG average of 12.7 leading up to the game.

In terms of defense, Arizona is currently on par with the NCAA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 71.9 points per game. Arizona’s three-point defense is currently 175th in the country at 8.2 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 42.0% of their shots vs. Arizona.