The USC Trojans (19-9) will finish out the regular season on the road when they clash against the California Golden Bears (20-8) at Haas Pavilion. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 28 and can be seen on FS1.
The Golden Bears beat UCLA 75-63 on Thursday. Jabari Bird was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting. The Trojans are coming off an ugly 84-64 loss at the hands of Stanford on Thursday. Chimezie Metu played well for USC, accounting for eight points, three rebounds, and two blocks.
The Golden Bears are attempting to build on their records of 20-8 Straight Up (SU) and 16-12 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. California’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 79.0 during that span, compared to its 66.7 season average. The Golden Bears are the 32nd-best team in the country at blocking shots, averaging 5.0 blocks per game.
Across the court, the Trojans head into the game with records of 16-11 ATS and 19-8 SU. USC has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 7-3. The Trojans have been struggling of late. In their most recent 10 games, their scoring has dropped to 75.0 PPG, compared to 75.3 for the duration of the season. The Trojans convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 25th in the nation at .386. The Trojans average 74.4 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 68.1 points per game during that span.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference foes played, California won, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over USC in their most recent games. With a 7-2-1 record, the Trojans have the advantage ATS. California held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while USC was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – USC, ATS Winner – USC
Notes
USC is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 81.8 points per game (ranked 17th). California allows 66.7 points per game (ranked 48th).
USC lost its last game by a 20-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, California is 7-0. USC is 7-1 in blowouts this season.
The USC Trojans rank 74th for their offensive rating of 110.9. The California Golden Bears have a defensive rating of 98.1 (ranked 47th).
The California Golden Bears average a field goal percentage of 46.8% this season. The USC Trojans have an underachieving record of 1-5 when opponents have a FG% of 46.8% or greater.
On average, California attempts 18.0 three pointers and USC attempts 20.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The California Golden Bears sit at 11-1 and the USC Trojans are 13-5.
USC ranks 88th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.21. California is ranked lower at 175th with an A/TO of 1.05.
California ranks 31st in rebounds per game with 40.1 and USC ranks 41st with 39.8 rebounds per game.
The USC Trojans rank 94th in offensive rebounds, and the California Golden Bears rank 15th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, California forces a turnover rate of 13.7%. When USC turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 15-6 record.
