USC vs Arizona: NCAAB Odds, Picks, Predictions (1/19/23)

USC visits Arizona in this big Pac-12 clash. USC is coming off two straight home wins with the latest coming against Utah. Arizona is coming off a road trip where they split, but most recently got blown out by Oregon. This should be an interesting matchup because the LA schools are two of the best teams in the Pac-12, and USC starts the week off for Arizona before UCLA over the weekend. Let’s take a look at the odds and make some picks and predictions for this game!

USC vs. Arizona Odds

Arizona is a 7-point home favorite against USC, but there are no money line odds listed just yet. The over/under is also listed at 153.5. Arizona being favored here makes sense because they’ve been the better team than USC this year and is almost unbeatable at home too, which is a big factor. The over/under also makes sense because of the pace Arizona forces other teams to try and play at.

USC vs. Arizona Prediction & Pick

The pick: Arizona -7

Arizona’s been stuck in a rut recently. They’ve struggled on the offensive end more than they should and their defense has gotten worse too. Azuolas Tubelis is still their superman and leads the team in scoring and steals. He’s been the best player for Arizona and that includes their recent stretch too. Oumar Ballo is still a part of that 1-2 punch down low that the Wildcats offer each game, but he’s struggled a bit recently. He’s still the second-leading scorer and the leader in rebounds and blocks per game too. The main struggles rely on Kerr Kriisa and Courtney Ramey at the guard spot. They are next in line for scoring production, but each player has been missing shots and getting beat defensively. Kerr has been very trustworthy passing the ball and leads the team in assists.

As a team, Arizona still excels a lot on the offensive end. They are top-10 in scoring and rebounding, while also being 3rd in assists per game at 20 per game. On the other side, USC has been a little inconsistent. Boogie Ellis is their leading scorer at point guard and he’s been there for a long time. Drew Peterson does a lot as a wing. He’s the second-leading scorer and then also leads the team in assists and rebounds per game. Reese Dixon-Waters and Tre White are next up in production and they both play off the wing as well.

As a team, USC excels more on defense than on offense, but is still solid on offense. Arizona is an easy play here because of the rebound factor at home after the way they lost to Oregon. Arizona should be able to outmuscle USC down low and that should be the difference in the game. Arizona covers and sets up a big battle against UCLA.

USC vs. Arizona Key Matchups

Can Joshua Morgan matchup with Azuolas Tubelis? Can Kerr Kriisa matchup with Boogie Ellis?

Azuolas Tubelis vs Joshua Morgan

Azuolas Tubelis has been Arizona’s do-it-all big man this year. He averages 20 points, 2 assists, and 9 rebounds per game for the season. He’ll be matched up with Joshua Morgan for most of the game who averages 8 points, 1 assist, and 6 rebounds per game for the season. Tubelis has been All-American level good this year, so it’ll be interesting to see if Morgan can matchup at all here. Tubelis is so important to Arizona too so this matchup has a big impact on this game.

Boogie Ellis vs Kerr Kriisa

Boogie Ellis has been the best player for USC this year. He averages 16 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds per game for the season. He’ll be matched up with Kerr Kriisa most up the game who averages 11 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds per game for the season. Ellis has the ability to carry USC when needed, while Kerr can do the same for Arizona or cause them to lose. These are the two engines for these teams’ offenses so this will be a big factor in who wins this game overall.