The Washington State Cougars and the USC Trojans meet in college basketball action from the Galen Center on Sunday night.
The Washington State Cougars will look to snap a four-game losing streak after a 76-56 loss to UCLA last time out. Michael Flowers leads the Cougars in scoring and assists with 13.4 PPG and 3 APG while Tyrell Roberts has 10.8 PPG and Noah Williams has 10.4 PPG to make up the trio of double-digit scorers for Wazzu this season. Efe Abogidi also has 7.2 PPG and a team-high 5.7 RPG to lead the Cougars on the glass as well. As a team, Washington State is averaging 70.6 PPG on 40.6% shooting from the field, 32.9% from three and 73.9% from the foul line while allowing 63 PPG on 40.8% shooting from the field and 31.4% from three this season.
The USC Trojans will look to build on a three-game win streak after a 79-69 win over Washington last time out. Isaiah Mobley leads USC in scoring and rebounding with 14.6 PPG, 3.4 APG and 8.3 RPG while Chevez Goodwin has 12.3 PPG and 7 RPG. Boogie Ellis has 12.1 PPG with 2.7 APG and Drew Peterson’s got 11.7 PPG with 6.3 RPG and 3.4 APG of his own up to this point in the season for the Trojans. Max Agbonkpolo also has 7.6 PPG and 3.5 RPG as well this season for USC. As a team, USC is averaging 73.3 PPG on 45.8% shooting from the field, 34.9% from three and 65.1% from the foul line while allowing 63.8 PPG on 37.7% shooting from the field and 32% from three this season.
Washington State is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall while the under is 5-1 in their last 6 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600. USC is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite while the under is 5-1 in their last 6 games following a win.
I get the case to be made either way here, but as much as I like my fair share of underdogs, bur USC’s owned the Cougars as of late winning the last ten meetings and doing so comfortably. Now that run can’t last forever, but the Cougars are struggling on the offensive end right now and against a USC team that’s still in the mix for the Pac-12 conference championship, I have to back the Trojans here.