The USC Trojans (19-7, 8-5 Pac-12) head to Boulder, Colo., for a 9 p.m. ET tip-off against the Colorado Buffaloes (20-6, 9-4) at the CU Events Center. We analyze the USC-Colorado odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.
USC at Colorado: Three things you need to know
1. Colorado steamrolled USC 78-57 in Los Angeles in the first head-to-head meeting this season. In fact, the Buffaloes have won and covered three straight against the Trojans.
2. USC enters on a two-game win streak, taking home games vs. the Washington State Cougars 70-51 Saturday, and vs the Washington Huskies 62-56 Feb. 13.
3. The Buffaloes are ranked No. 17 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and are on track for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.
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USC at Colorado: Odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:10 p.m. ET.
Prediction
USC 68, Colorado 64
Moneyline (ML)
USC (+350) has six top-100 RSCI recruits on its roster compared to just one for Colorado (-455). It’s not like the Buffaloes are a more experienced squad than the Trojans: Colorado had four upperclassmen in its starting lineup last game, while USC had three upperclassmen, and they both have 1.7 years of average experience on their rosters. Place a small wager on USC (+350).
New to sports betting? Bet $50 on USC to profit $175 if the Trojans win outright.
Against the Spread (ATS)
This number is kind of confusing to me. Sure, Colorado -9.5 (-106) blew out USC +9.5 (-115) in their first meeting of the season, but USC has the best ATS winning percentage of any Pac-12 team. The Trojans have covered four straight games since their Feb. 4 outright and ATS loss to the Buffaloes. USC is 5-0 ATS in its last five games as an underdog and 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall. Plus, the road team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings in this series. Bet USC +9.5 (-115).
New to sports betting? Bet $115 on USC +9.5 to earn a $100 profit if the Trojans lose by 9 or fewer points or win outright.
Over/Under (O/U)
The Under has cashed in back-to-back Colorado games, and six out of seven USC games, including three straight. More importantly, the O/U record is 0-7 for the last seven USC-Colorado meetings. The Trojans have the most Unders in the Pac-12 this season, so back the UNDER 137.5 (-115) since it correlates with our USC ATS/moneyline handicaps.
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