The USC Trojans and the Washington Huskies meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. Here’s a Washington vs. USC prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Washington vs. USC pick.
USC Trojans Betting Preview
This year USC kicked off the season on a 14-5 run across their first 19 games out of the gate. The Trojans won four of the next five versus Wisconsin, Rutgers, Indiana, and Penn State, then hit a five-game losing streak versus Ohio State, Illinois, Oregon, UCLA, and Nebraska in succession. Across the first 29 games of the regular season, the Trojans are 18-11 overall.
In their Saturday matchup versus Nebraska, the Trojans were ahead by five points, 36-31, going into the second half. USC was demolished 51-31 the rest of the way, however, leading to a rough loss on their home court 82-67 in the end. Leading the team in scoring were Chad Baker-Mazara and Alijah Arenas, each with 14 points. Kam Woods added 12 points with four assists as well.
Washington Huskies Betting Preview
Over on the Washington side, they weren’t looking terrible after a 9-4 start this year. The Huskies lost five of the next six games, though, then won two of three versus Oregon and Northwestern. It’s been a 2-5 run in the last seven outings with losses to Iowa, UCLA, Penn State, Maryland, and Wisconsin in that time. Over 29 games, that makes for a 14-15 record.
Matched up against Wisconsin over the weekend, the Huskies were down 36-21 as they walked off the floor at the conclusion of the first half. Washington hit a 54-52 deficit the rest of the way and ended up taking the sizable loss on their home court, 90-73. Leading the team in scoring was Hannes Steinbach with 22 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
Why the Washington Huskies will win
- USC has lost each of its last five games.
- Washington has won the first half in five of its last six night games.
Why the USC Trojans will win
- USC has won each of its last eight night games against Washington.
- Washington has lost each of its last 11 Wednesday games.
- USC has won the first half in each of its last four games at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
Washington vs USC Prediction
I’ll lean toward Washington. The Huskies could use a good showing here after getting beaten up in the second half by Wisconsin in a home loss last weekend. Washington shot 46 percent from the field in that one with just 22.2 percent (4-of-18) from outside. The Huskies gave up 45.9 percent from the field and 44.7 percent (17-of-38) from 3-point range on defense. Washington is 2-2 in their last four games, and they’ve scored fewer than 70 points in two of those outings.
Way back on December 6 when these teams last met up, the Huskies were able to secure an 84-76 win on the road. Washington shot a solid 45.3 percent from the field in that one while giving up just 36.7 percent on defense. The Huskies added a 40-24 edge on points in the paint and a 42-28 advantage on the boards. The home setting in the rematch should help things out, and I like Washington in this one.