Pac-12 conference men’s basketball action continues Wednesday night with a matchup between the No. 13-ranked Arizona Wildcats (12-4, 3-2 Pac-12) hosting the USC Trojans (8-9, 2-4) at the McKale Center.
Arizona opened the year with eight consecutive wins, including two over ranked opponents. A matchup with No. 2-ranked Purdue handed the Wildcats their first loss of the season in mid-December. After a 9-2 start to the schedule, Arizona won three of its first four Pac-12 conference games. The Wildcats did drop their last game – a road matchup with Washington State – 73-70, despite a game-high 28 points from guard Caleb Love. That loss dropped Arizona to fourth in the Pac-12 standings despite boasting the best point differential (+19.3 points per game) in the conference.
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USC started the season 5-2 but have dropped seven of their last 10 games since the start of December. Since the start of Pac-12 play in late December, wins and losses have come in pairs for the Trojans. Losses to Oregon and Oregon State preceded wins over California and Stanford. The Trojans’ last two games were both losses to Washington State at home and Colorado on the start of their current road trip.
The Trojans’ top scorer Boogie Ellis (hamstring) and Joshua Morgan (illness) are both questionable for this game. USC continues its road trip with their second game against a ranked opponent this season Wednesday in Tucson.
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USC at Arizona predictions
ClutchPoints: Arizona -16.5
Griffin Conant writes: “At the end of the day, Arizona is undefeated on their home floor for a reason and USC enters town extremely banged up. Just this alone is enough to spell disaster for the Trojans.”
Winners and Whiners: Arizona -16.5
Viktor Allenson says: “Will Arizona win this game? Absolutely! The question is by how much, and recent history demonstrates that they can crush the Trojans by 17 or more. Last season at home, they beat USC by 15 and the season before they had a 20-point victory over the Trojans in Los Angeles.”
Action Network: Arizona team total over
Alex Hinton writes: “The Wildcats might hit 10-plus 3s in this game. Plus, Love’s slashing combined with Ballo and Krivas’ scoring down low will give Arizona a few more ways to light up the scoreboard. Coming off a season-low at Washington State, I expect the Wildcats to bounce back in a big way here.”
RealGM: Arizona 87, USC 70
Staff note that the Wildcats have won each of their five games this season when playing as at least 16.5-point favorites and the teams average 168 points per game combined, which is six more than this game’s projected total.
NCAAM Odds: USC Trojans at Arizona Wildcats lines, betting odds
The Wildcats are big favorites to hand the Trojans their third straight loss, per odds from BetMGM Sportsbook.
- Spread: Arizona (-19.5)
- Moneyline: not available
- Over/under: 158.5
How to watch USC vs. Arizona: TV and streaming
When: Jan. 17 at 10:00 p.m., ET
Where: McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona
Cable TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app, FuboTV
Stream the game: Catch the latest NBA action on FuboTV
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