USC vs. Arizona Prediction, Odds, Key Players for Wednesday, Jan. 17 (Bet the Wildcats)
Arizona was once the No. 1 team in the nation, but the Wildcats are just 4-4 in its last eight games and Tommy Lloyd’s club is looking to bounce back Wednesday night at the McKale Center. Arizona is just 3-2 in PAC-12 play, with road losses to Stanford and most recently Washington State on Saturday. Arizona came in at No. 12 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.
Injuries hit USC at a bad time as the Trojans lost on the road to Colorado, 68-58, on Saturday. The Trojans have dropped four of six conference games and are just 3-7 since a 5-2 start to the year.
Here is our betting breakdown of Wednesday’s Pac-12 clash in Tucson.
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USC vs. Arizona odds, spread and total
USC vs. Arizona betting trends
- USC is 8-9 ATS this season
- Arizona is 12-4 ATS this season
- USC is 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season
- Arizona is 11-4 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 12-5 in USC games this season
- The OVER is 8-8 in Arizona games this season
USC vs. Arizona how to watch
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 17
- Game time: 10 p.m. EST
- Venue: McKale Center
- How to watch (TV): ESPN
- USC record: 8-9 (2-4 PAC-12)
- Arizona record: 12-4 (3-2 PAC-12)
USC vs. Arizona key players to watch
USC
Boogie Ellis: The senior guard and third-year Trojan is posting career-highs in scoring (18.7 points per game), rebounds (4.1) and assists (3.4). He’s shooting 45.5% from 3-point range, which is sixth in the country.
Bronny James: USC guard Isaiah Collier is out 4-6 weeks with a hand injury, which has thrust James into a starting role. In his first start at Colorado, James was 0-for-7 from the field over 25 minutes. James, averaging 5.2 points per game this season, has not made a field goal in the last three games, going 0-for-14 from the field in that stretch.
Arizona
Oumar Ballo: Arizona’s high-scoring lineup features five double-digit scorers, including Ballo, who is averaging 12.7 points per game. The 7-foot senior center is third in the PAC-12 in rebounding (8.7 per game) and second in field goal percentage (59.4%). Ballo has a tough matchup tonight against a USC team that ranks seventh in the country in average height, led by 7-foot-1 forward Vincent Iwuchukwu and 6-foot-11 forward Josh Morgan.
USC vs. Arizona prediction and pick
Despite USC’s height, Arizona will have a major advantage on the glass in this matchup. The Wildcats rank No. 11 in offensive rebounding percentage and USC is No. 196 in limiting second-chance opportunities. Arizona is No.5 in defensive rebounds per game (30.5) and its +13 rebounding margin is No. 1 in the country.
USC’s offense is No. 69 in the country, but is missing Collier, who was averaging 15.4 points per game and shooting 50.6% from the field when he went down. The Trojans struggle to take care of the ball, too, ranking No. 233 in turnover percentage.
The Wildcats are a top-25 team in KenPom in 3-point shooting (37.8%) and USC’s defense is No. 292 in defending the perimeter. The Wildcats’ deep lineup of scorers also ranks No. 24 in effective field goal percentage and No. 35 on shots from inside the arc.
In a great bounce-back spot, Arizona should get right against the struggling Trojans. The Wildcats have been excellent (11-4) against the spread as a favorite this season, specifically at home.
Arizona is 8-0 ATS as a home favorite this season with a +15 cover margin. The Wildcats covered as double-digit home chalk against Colorado (-13, W 97-50) and Utah (-12.5, W 92-73) already this month. Look for them to cruise again when USC comes to town.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change