The USC Trojans take on the No. 19 Washington State Cougars in a Pac-12 matchup on Thursday, February 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET, and the game will air on the Pac-12 Network.
USC (11-16, 5-11 Pac-12) is struggling this season, and have lost three of their last five games in conference play. They defeated UCLA in their most recent game, 62-56, led by a 24-point performance from Boogie Ellis. The Trojans lost to Washington State at home earlier this season, 72-64.
The Trojans rank 101st at KenPom. They sit near the bottom of the Pac-12 standings and are not in the running for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament at this point in the season. Ellis leads the team with 17 points per game, and the team averages 74.2 points per game (130th in the nation).
Washington State (21-7, 12-5 Pac-12) is currently projected to earn a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament, per ESPN’s bracketology predictions. They are coming off a 73-61 loss to Arizona State, but defeated No. 6 Arizona by three points on the road before that. The Cougars rank 36th overall at KenPom and 27th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
The Cougars hold opponents to 67 points per game on average (42nd in the nation) and to 45.4% accuracy from the two-point range (18th in the nation). Isaac Jones and Myles Rice lead the offense, each contributing over 15 points per game.
USC vs. Washington State odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Washington State -7
Total: 138.5
Moneyline: Washington State -310, USC +250
Pick: Washington State -7
This should be a walk in the park for the Cougars as they take on USC on their home turf. Washington State beat them by eight on the road in January, and as USC’s weak offense bumps up against the Cougars’ solid defense, the Trojans will be out of this one on the earlier side.