Could USC Be Trap Game For NCAAB Odds Favorite Arizona?

The battle to be number one in the Pac-12 has turned into a 2-horse race now, with Arizona and Utah neck and neck coming down the stretch. While it only really matters who goes deeper in the Tournament, both teams will still want to finish out the season with the conference bragging rights. Time: Thursday, 9 p.m. ET Venue: McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz. National TV: Pac-12 Network Opening line: Arizona -23

NCAAB Odds Analysis and Game Preview

Arizona (22-3, 10-2) is currently ranked number 7 in the nation, and start their final stretch of games with a home match-up with USC. The Wildcats are still undoubtedly feeling the sting of their upset loss to the Arizona Sun Devils a couple of weeks back, but they have rebounded nicely, winning 2 straight, and doing so in pretty convincing fashion. They put up 86 points in each of those wins, which is well above the 75.9 PPG average they have to this point in the season. It’s fair to say that there was some atonement being sought after that bitter loss. They will also likely be looking ahead to the Feb 28th game against the Utes, but will have to make sure that they stay focused on this one, just so that there isn’t a repeat of the performance versus the Sun Devils.

USC (10-15, 2-11) don’t really strike you as a team that is prepared to put up much of a fight at this stage in the season. The Trojans fans finally did get something to cheer about with a win over Oregon State in their last game, but it was likely more of a sense of relief than anything else, as the victory helped bring a 9-game losing skid to a halt. USC has not been very good on the defensive side of the court, giving up an average of 70 PPG. When you consider that the Arizona Wildcats are averaging over 75 points per game, you can begin to see how the Trojans may not really be looking forward to this particular game. They have only won 2 games on the road all season, and against opposition far less imposing than Arizona.

Key Betting Trends

USC is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games Arizona is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games Arizona is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona’s last 9 games

Final Thoughts

This really does have all the ingredients required to make a blowout, and you really have to feel that it will be all about keeping things respectable for USC. I expect the Wildcats to continue rolling offensively, which likely adds up to a victory of 20 points or more.