Free NCAA Hoops Pick: #2 Arizona vs. #16 USC CBB Odds
Looking for Arizona Wildcats vs. USC Trojans NCAA basketball free picks & CBB odds? CBB betting sees the Wildcats taking on the Trojans on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all college basketball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NCAA basketball predictions like this Cats Trojans matchup.
2022 NCAA Basketball Handicapping
(25-3) Arizona Wildcats vs. USC Trojans (25-4)
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Time: 8:00 PM PT
Venue: Galen Center
CBB Moneyline Odds: Arizona -185 / USC +165
CBB Betting ATS Odds: Wildcats -4.5 / Trojans +4.5 (Bet Now!)
CBB Betting Total: O/U 150.5
Oh, it’s just another Pac 12 Conference game, pfft. Yeah, not so much, as the Wildcats and Trojans square off on ESPN at 11 p.m ET / 8 p.m PT. This is one of those games that anyone who is a fan of this sport should be tuning in for as Arizona and USC are among the elite in not only the Pac 12 but the nation as a whole.
This is a battle of two programs in the top-16 of the national rankings and we will have to see how Arizona rebounds from a 16-point loss in Colorado last time out. This will be the final road game for the Wildcats as they will return home for two more games against Stanford and Cal to wrap up the regular season.
The Trojans will only have one trip to UCLA remaining before the conference tournament begins and the goal is to finish the home portion of the schedule at 14 – 2 with a win tonight over a top-5 program. A win of this magnitude would not only give USC a 6-game win streak but it would give USC their 15th win in conference play to draw level with Arizona in the win column. Arizona took a win from the first meeting between these two programs, 72 – 63, and the season sweep over the Trojans would give the Wildcats the top-seed for the Pac 12 tournament.
Welcome to March! Let the Madness begin!
Arizona Wildcats
If Arizona sweeps the second-place Trojans it will also mean that the third-place UCLA Bruins will still not be able to do enough to catch the Wildcats. So, this will essentially be the game that could clinch the top spot in the Pac 12 standings for Arizona en route to the conference tournament.
This is the third straight road game and the final trip the Wildcats will make before returning home for those final 2 games of the regular season. Even with that ugly loss to Colorado, the Wildcats have still only tasted defeat 3 times all season long and most prognosticators have Arizona as a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
By the same token, another loss after the poor outing against the Buffaloes could surely start to build the wrong momentum headed towards the Pac 12 conference tourney. The win for Colorado marked only the second time they had taken out a #2 ranked program and they are still celebrating on the floor up in Boulder.
So, the Wildcats need to get a big rebound tonight knowing that a road win tonight clinches the top spot in Vegas, which will take some pressure off their next two games that will still show the Cats as big favs. Stanford and Cal are not likely going to stand in the way of Arizona regardless of this result tonight.
The line setters are apparently convinced that the Wildcats will go out and rebound in style with a -4.5 line attached to their action tonight. That is rather convincing IMO, considering that USC has lost how many games at Galen Center this season? Not many.
The Cats 3rd ranked offense that puts up 84.4 PPG will be tested tonight going up against a USC team that ranks 6th in the nation allowing teams to only shoot 38.1% from the floor.
USC Trojans
The Galen Center has been a nice place for USC to call home as they rarely lose here and the crowd is going to be bonkers tonight, make no mistake about it.
While Arizona has aspirations to just get the 1-seed clinched early, the Trojans can throw a major wrench in those plans with a win tonight. This USC program is 14 – 4 and they’ll need the split of the season series and some help to break any ties in the final standings. Yes, USC can still navigate their own way to that 1-seed, oh, by the way,
USC could improve to 15 – 4 in Pac 12 play with a win tonight while also leaving the Wildcats at 15- 3 with a loss which will only have them separated by a half-game. Arizona will have two games left to play while UCLA will be all that stands in the way of the end of the regular season just to make that rivalry a little more meaningful.
USC and UCLA could essentially be controlling who takes the top spot in the final conference standings so this game really is about as big as it gets. Since the game is on ESPN we can only assume the term ‘conference of champions’ might be thrown around about 100 times if Bill is on the call. I honestly didn’t look to see who is making the call on ESPN tonight, but this is still going to be a game to watch no matter who gets the mic.
CBB Betting Trends:
- Trojans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- The underdog is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
- The under is 9-1 in the Wildcats’ last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight-up loss.
Free Arizona Wildcats vs. USC Trojans NCAAB Betting Prediction:
I have +5 at -120 and you can bet yer ass I will take a handful of points and pay a few bucks for it. Even at -120, I can find some value in the +5 when the line is +4.5 at -110. So, I move it and hope the home team provides a surprise result at Galen!
4* Free CBB Betting Pick: USC +5 -120
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