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USC vs. Washington Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Pac 12 Tournament First Round (Take the Over)

College basketball betting preview, prediction and best bet for USC-Washington. 

By Shelby Dermer

Feb 29, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; USC Trojans guard Isaiah Collier (1) controls the ball against Washington State.
Feb 29, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; USC Trojans guard Isaiah Collier (1) controls the ball against Washington State. / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
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Washington is moving in a new direction after firing head coach Mike Hopkins ahead of the Pac-12 Tournament. No. 8 Washington is now a small underdog in its first-round tournament matchup against No. 9 USC having played .500 ball since the start of February. 

Meanwhile, USC is playing some of its best basketball at the right time, winning its last three games (including an 82-75 victory over Washington on March 2) and five of seven overall. USC needs a Pac-12 Tournament run to help its NCAA Tournament chances. Can they pull away as a small favorite against the Huskies? Here’s the betting breakdown of the first-round tilt with a best bet. 

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USC vs. Washington Odds, Spread and Total

USC vs. Washington Betting Trends

  • USC is 15-16 ATS this season
  • Washington is 17-14 ATS this season
  • USC is 9-8 ATS as a favorite this season
  • Washington is 9-3 ATS as an underdog this season
  • The OVER is 20-11 in USC games this season
  • The OVER is 17-14 in Washington games this season

USC vs. Washington How to Watch

  • Date: Wednesday, March 13 
  • Game time: 3 p.m. EST
  • Venue: T-Mobile Arena
  • How to watch (TV): Pac 12 Network
  • USC record: 14-17
  • Washington record: 17-14

USC vs. Washington Key Players to Watch

USC

Isaiah Collier: The freshman guard is USC’s leading scorer at 16.6 points per game while dishing out 4.2 assists a night, which is also a team-high. Collier scored a season-high 31 points in a win over Washington March 2 and has put up 20-plus points in three of the last six games. 

Washington 

Keion Brooks Jr.: The senior forward continues to pour in points and leads the Pac-12 in scoring at 21.3 per game. Brooks is also the Huskies’ leading rebounder at 6.8 boards per night. Brooks has put up at least 20 points in seven of the last eight games and was one rebound short of a double-double (22 points, 9 rebounds) in his last outing. 

USC vs. Washington Prediction and Pick 

USC’s offense has been on fire over its late-season surge. The Trojans have averaged 77.3 points over their last six games, and a high-flying offense loves going up against Washington’s defense. 

The Huskies are last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, permitting 77 points per game. Teams are shooting 44.1% from the field this season against Washington, which is in the bottom half of the Pac-12 in every major shooting metric and is No. 270 in KenPom in creating turnovers. That’s more good news for USC, which struggles with ball security. 

On the other side, Washington has become one-sided with a great offense and lackluster defense. The Huskies, which play at the No. 30 pace in the nation, are 41st in offensive efficiency and top 50 at shooting from inside the arc. Washington has a great advantage from the perimeter, facing a USC defense that is No. 320 in defending shots from 3-point range. These two teams combined for 157 points in less than two weeks in a game where both teams shot over 40% from downtown and committed less than 10 turnovers. These squads can light up the scoreboard and they’ll do it Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas. Take the over. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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