It will be a battle between Pac-12 opponents when the Arizona State Sun Devils (13-11) welcome the No. 23 USC Trojans (18-5) to Wells-Fargo Arena. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 12 and will air on PAC.
The Sun Devils come into this game on a high note after beating Washington State 67-55 in their last matchup. Gerry Blakes had 11 points, seven rebounds, and three steals for Arizona State. The Trojans, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-61 win against UCLA in their last outing. Jordan McLaughlin played well for USC, accounting for nine points, 10 assists, and five steals.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Trojans winning the first matchup 75-65. Julian Jacobs was a standout player in the game, producing 15 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one three-pointer.
The Sun Devils have gone 13-11 Straight Up (SU) and 11-11-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Arizona State has averaged 85.2 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 76.0. The Arizona State defense has done poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 79.9 points per game, well above their season average of 73.2.
On the other side, the Trojans have 18-5 SU and 15-8 ATS records. The Trojans rank 11th in the country in scoring, averaging 84.0 points per game. USC is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, making .388 of their shots from three-point range. The Trojans have controlled the glass with an average of 41.8 rebounds per game, ninth in the country. Shifting to the other side of the court, teams seem to consistently miss shots against the Trojans, who are the 33rd-best team in the nation in terms of opponent field goal percentage allowed at .397. When it comes to defending the rim, the Trojans are one of the best in the nation with an average of 5.8 blocks per game.
The Trojans’ win over Arizona State in their last clash took the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. With a 5-4-1 record, the Sun Devils have the advantage ATS. Neither Arizona State nor USC has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – USC, ATS Winner – USC
Notes
Arizona State averages 76.0 points per game (ranked 97th). USC, on the other hand, allows 73.3 points per game (ranked 175th).
USC is one of the top-scoring teams on the road, averaging 80.4 points per game (ranked 10th). Arizona State, on the other hand, allows 73.0 points per home game (ranked 200th).
The USC Trojans have a defensive rating of 97.9 (ranked 69th), while the Arizona State Sun Devils have an offensive rating of 107.7 (ranked 128th).
With 70.6 possessions and 1.077 points per possession, the Arizona State Sun Devils perform worse on both metrics than the USC Trojans. USC averages 74.8 possessions and 1.123 points per possession.
The USC Trojans average an effective field goal percentage of 52.7% this season. The Arizona State Sun Devils have an abysmal record of 2-8 when opponents have an eFG% of 52.7% or greater.
On average, Arizona State attempts 23.0 three pointers and USC attempts 21.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Arizona State Sun Devils are 11-8 while the USC Trojans have a superb 13-4 record.
USC ranks 74th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.24. Arizona State is ranked lower at 168th with an A/TO of 1.06.
Ranked ninth in the nation, USC averages 41.8 rebounds per game. Arizona State ranks lower at 107th with 37.8 RPG.
The USC Trojans rank 68th in offensive rebounds. The Arizona State Sun Devils rank 190th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, Arizona State forces a turnover rate of 19.1%. When USC turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 4-1 record.
