#7 USC vs. California: Live stream info, game preview, picks and predictions & more

The No. 7 USC Trojans are among the few undefeated teams left in college basketball, and they will return to the floor Thursday night for a road matchup with the California Bears after a few scheduled games were not played.

USC (12-0, 2-0 Pac-12) has not taken the floor since a December 18th victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. It will be interesting to see how the Trojans look in their first game back since COVID issues went through the program. USC has a slightly better defense than offense according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency, but the Trojans are inside the top 25 on both ends of the floor.

Cal (9-5, 2-1 Pac-12) is coming off a 74-50 home victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Bears have really struggled offensively this season as they rate outside the top 150 in adjusted efficiency, and their strength comes on the defensive end that is inside the top 50 nationally. Cal will go for their sixth consecutive victory on Thursday night.

How to watch USC vs. California

When: Thursday, January 6th, 11:00 p.m. ET
Where: Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA
TV: FS1
Where to live stream online: FS1, Bally Sports App on iOS or Google Play
Live updates and stats: At DraftKings Sportsbook

Odds

Spread: USC -5.5
Total: 127

The Pick

Under 127

USC’s defends as one of the best in the nation, anchored by Isaiah Mobley in the paint for the No. 16 adjusted defense in the country. That should be enough to keep Cal off the board, and the Bears average just 65 possessions per game anyway. Combine that with the Trojans below average pace (68.3 possessions), and we should be in for a low scoring affair.

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