10:35 pm
January 2

USC @ Washington State

Who will WIN this matchup?

USC Trojans (11-2)

@ Washington State Cougars (9-4)

 

Current odds:

USC Trojans: (-170)

Washington State Cougars: (+145)

 

• The spread for the game is USC by 3.5 points.

• Nick Rakocevic, a 6-11 senior forward who was on the Pac-12’s preseason all-conference team, had 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-2 3-pointers, and also pulled down 13 rebounds in the win over Florida Gulf Coast while senior guards Daniel Utomi and Jonah Mathews added 13 and 10 points, respectively. “With Big O (Okongwu) out, other players had to step up,” said Utomi, a grad transfer from Akron. “We had to toughen it out and come out with a win.” Okongwu leads the team in both scoring (17.7) and rebounding (9.0) while Rakocevic (12.5) and Mathews (12.4) also are averaging in double figures.

• Sophomore forward CJ Elleby has scored in double figures in all 13 games and is third in the Pac-12 in scoring with a 20.1 average and also leads the team in rebounding with an average of 6.7 per contest. Junior point guard Isaac Bonton is second in scoring (13.0) and leads the team in assists (3.0) while senior forward Jeff Pollard also is averaging in double digits (10.2). The Cougars enter the week ranked 11th in Division I in fewest turnovers with an average of 11.0 per game but have struggled shooting the ball, ranking last in the Pac-12 in both field goal percentage (40.7) and 3-point shooting percentage (29.1).

• USC leads the series with Washington State, 75-48, and has won the last six in a row.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
USC Trojans
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