The USC Trojans (15-17) battle the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats (24-7) Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. Tip from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the'USC vs. Arizona odds, and make our expert'college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Trojans are running as hot as anyone in the country right now with 4 straight wins. They beat the Washington Huskies 80-74 Wednesday in the 1st round of the Pac-12 Tournament, covering the spread as a 3-point favorite while the Over (152) cashed. Senior G Boogie Ellis led the way for USC with 25 points and 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. They will need to win the tournament’s automatic bid to make the Big Dance for the 4th straight year.
Arizona won the Pac-12 regular season (15-5) and enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Wildcats lost 78-65 on Saturday to USC as 7.5-point road favorites while the Under (163) cashed. The Wildcats are led by G Caleb Love, the Pac-12 Player of the Year who averages 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Arizona will be playing in it its third straight NCAA Tournament and 8th in the last 12 seasons.
The teams split their season series with both teams winning at home. Arizona won 82-67 on Jan. 17 and USC won 78-65 on March 9. Arizona covered the spread in both matchups and the Under cashed in both.