USC Favored To Earn Season Split With Colorado On Friday

Written By Derek Helling on February 23, 2024
colorado and usc basketball players

If the No. 11 Colorado Buffaloes are to get a season sweep of the No. 7 USC Trojans and keep slim hopes of nabbing the Pac-12’s regular-season title alive, they’ll have to defy sportsbooks’ expectations on Friday. They’ll also have to stymie freshman sensation JuJu Watkins on her home court.

Legal North American online sportsbooks should favor USC but the spread should be quite narrow. As far as the total goes, the under could be play if the Trojans are able to replicate their usual defensive efficiency.

Colorado at USC details

The final meeting of these teams on the 2023-24 regular season has some extra significance, as the team that loses could be effectively eliminated from content for the Pac-12’s regular-season title and the top overall seed in the forthcoming conference tournament. The winner could also get a leg up on claiming the second seed in that tourney.

  • Tip-off: 10 p.m. ET, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024
  • Venue: Galen Center, Los Angeles, California
  • Broadcast: Pac-12 Networks
  • Previous matchup: Jan. 21, 2024, at Colorado, 63-59 Buffaloes win
  • Last 5 games: Colorado WWWLL, USC WWWWW
  • Average points for: Colorado 77, USC 74
  • Average points against: Colorado 63.4, USC 59.6
  • USC record: 20-4 overall, 12-1 at home, 10-4 Pac-12
  • Colorado record: 20-5 overall, 7-2 on the road, 10-4 Pac-12

USC leads this series 16-12 and has won eight of 11 in Los Angeles, averaging outscoring Colorado by about four points per game in the series. However, these teams have evenly split the last 10 meetings. Both teams enter Friday night relatively healthy for this point in the season, so bets will come down to adjustments and execution.

Handicapping Trojans vs. Buffaloes

In the first meeting of these teams on the season, the big difference was shooting. The Buffaloes were able to hold the Trojans under 39% from the field in the game while essentially matching USC in many other aspects of the game.

Repeating that in Los Angeles might be quite a challenge and Colorado’s defensive statistics for the season as a whole are not eye-popping. For example, opponents average shooting over 56% overall against them to date on the season.

The Buffaloes’ greatest statistical strength lies in its half-court offense. Colorado is eighth in the nation in assists per game and 14th in terms of converted 2-point shot attempts. At the same time, the only statistic that really jumps off the stat sheet when it comes to USC is their per-game average for blocked shots.

It’s difficult to see either team finding a ton of offensive success in this one. The Trojans have the personnel and the talent to frustrate the Buffaloes’ passing lanes and shot attempts. In January, the Buffaloes showed they have the scheme to limit USC offensively.

Once again, this contest could come down to which team finds the bottom of the net when they are able to get looks at the basket. Bettors should expect a slog and depending on where the sportsbooks set the line, the under could be in play.

Photo by AP Photo/Karl B. DeBlaker/Kyusung Gong; Illustrated by BetHer
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Derek Helling

Derek Helling is the assistant managing editor of PlayUSA and the managing editor of BetHer. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Iowa and covers the intersections of the gambling industry with business, the law, and technology.

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