Washington State vs. USC Prediction, Picks & Odds: Can Bronny James, Trojans Maintain Momentum?

sportsbookreview.com

10 January 2024

Washington State vs. USC Prediction, Picks & Odds: Can Bronny James, Trojans Maintain Momentum?

Our Washington State vs. USC prediction based on the best college basketball odds expects a defensive battle when Bronny James and Co. welcome the Cougars for a late-night conference matchup.

Following consecutive wins, the USC Trojans have surpassed the .500 mark with an overall record of 8-7. Initially ranked in the top 25 by advanced metrics at the start of the year, this team generated significant buzz with freshman Bronny James on the roster. James has achieved double-figure scores in two of his last three games, indicating a gradual return to form after starting the season sidelined.

After experiencing an 89-84 defeat against the Oregon Ducks in their last outing, Washington State (10-5) arrives in town. With the Trojans holding a two-possession favoritism, can James and his teammates handle their business at home in Wednesday's Pac-12 clash?

Here is our best Washington State vs. USC prediction and our college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Washington State vs. USC prediction

No player props are available for Bronny James as of Wednesday morning, which is a bummer after we cashed the Over on his points prop just a week ago. But there is value in the total, as we are buying an Under that has dropped 1.5 points since betting lines were released.

USC has been more of an Over team this year, clearing the closing point total a dozen times through 15 games. But the market might have adjusted too much, as Washington State has typically been more of an Under squad.

ShotQuality projects this final score to be 10 points lower than this mark, which speaks to the regression coming for both teams. Both squads should be shooting 5% worse on shots at the rim based on ShotQuality's metrics.

Washington State, in particular, hasn't had good offensive process to this point. The Cougars rank 145h in adjusted ShotQuality on the offensive end, as they are 258th in spacing and 260th in shot selection. Their free-throw percentage of 68.2% ranks 283rd in the country, so even the freebies are difficult.

WSU ranks 280th in pace and will attempt to slow this game down on the road. Andy Enfield's Trojans prefer to play at a higher tempo, but that's reflected in the total. We haven't seen a betting total in the 140s between these two teams since 2020, and we believe this is too much of an adjustment.

Not intended for use in MA
Affiliate Disclosure: Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook

Washington State vs. USC best odds

Three of our five best sports betting apps are offering a total of 147 as of this writing. We chose to play this at DraftKings due to the same-game parlay possibilities, particularly since it is a shop that offers a variety of player prop markets. That is where you should keep an eye out for any props related to James ahead of tipoff.

BetMGM Promo for Washington State vs. USC

BetMGM is offering a promo for anyone not located in Ontario, with a 33% boost for one college basketball bet on Wednesday. Opt-in and place a wager on any game, including the Pac-12 matchup between Washington State and USC.

Washington State vs. USC odds

The market appears to believe the the Trojans will win with their defense against Washington State. The spread opened at USC -6, and has since moved to -6.5 or -7 across our best sports betting sites. The total opened as high as 148.5 before settling on its current mark of 147.

So far this season, Washington State is just 5-10 against the spread with an 8-7 record to the Under. USC has been an Over machine, clearing the closing point total in 12 of its 15 games to go along with a 7-8 ATS clip.