The Washington State Cougars will be hoping to avoid a five-game losing streak when the team takes on the USC Trojans on Sunday. USC has won three games in a row and is the No. 17-ranked team in the nation right now.
Do the Cougars have a chance of pulling off the road upset? Check out our free college basketball picks and predictions for Washington State vs. USC to find out.
Washington State vs USC odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Washington State opened as a 5.5-point underdog in this game and has stayed there, despite the majority of the bets coming in on USC. As for the total, the number opened at 131 and is now up as high as 133.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
Washington State vs USC predictions
- Prediction: Washington State +5.5 (-106)
- Prediction: Under 133.5 (-106)
- Best bet: Washington State +5.5 (-106)
Predictions made on 2/20/2022 at 1:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Washington State vs USC game info
• Location: Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Date: Sunday, February 20, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1
Washington State at USC betting preview
Injuries
Washington State: Dishon Jackson C (Questionable), Jefferson Koulibaly G (Questionable), TJ Bamba G (Questionable), Myles Rice G (Out).
USC: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Washington State is 9-4-1 ATS in its last 14 road games against teams with home winning percentages of 60% or higher. . Find more NCAA betting trends for Washington State vs. USC.
Washington State vs USC picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Efe Abogidi has had a rather disappointing season for Washington State this year, but he’s still a talented big and has a good chance of holding his own against USC's Isaiah Mobley.
Abogidi is athletic and possesses a massive wingspan, so he’ll be able to get his arms up and contest a lot of shots. That should help slow down a USC offense that is 34th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency this year (all efficiency stats from KenPom.com).
Washington State team is 22nd in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, so the Cougars should be able to come out and make things tough on the Trojans.
With that said, this game is ultimately going to come down to whether or not guys like Michael Flowers, Tyrell Roberts, and Noah Williams are making plays on the offensive end.
The Cougars will need guys to step up on offense and don't be surprised if Williams ends up leading the way. The junior has all the talent in the world and averaged 14.1 points per game a year ago. His numbers have taken a dip this year but the talent is in there and it shouldn't shock anyone if he finished the year on a positive note.
It’s also worth noting that USC is just 2-9 ATS in its last 11 home games and 0-5 ATS in its last five games as a favorite. The Trojans are prone to some let-down performances and I think we see another one tonight.
Prediction: Washington State +5.5 (-106)
Over/Under analysis
The last time USC and Washington State played was back on December 4, when the Trojans earned a 63-61 win over the Cougars. The total in that one was 137 and the number here is a bit lower than that. This game should, however, be similarly low-scoring.
The Under has hit in three of Washington State’s last four games, and this Cougars team is just rock-solid on the defensive end. Washington State should look to slow things down on offense and try to keep this game at a reasonable pace. The team’s defense is good enough to keep the Cougars in this game.
The Under is 11-3 when Washington State has played against conference opponents this season, and the average total points scored in those games was 124.2 points per game.
On top of that, the Under is 10-3 when the Cougars are coming off a game in which they failed to cover this season. If that’s not enough, the Under is 26-7-1 when USC is favored at home by six or fewer points under Andy Enfield.
Prediction: Under 133.5 (-106)
Best bet
This might look like an easy USC cover to a lot of people, but Washington State matches up really well with Enfield’s team. The Cougars have the size to battle Mobley on both ends of the floor and some perimeter players should step up and make some players here. The Trojans have a solid defense but it’s not like they’re elite on that end of the floor.
Over the last three seasons, the Cougars are 10-2 ATS when coming off back-to-back games of scoring 65 or fewer points. They’re also 10-2 ATS in road games in which the team is coming off a performance in which it had nine or fewer assists in that same span.
With that in mind, Washington State’s offense should really bounce back and turn in a decent performance here.
USC is also just 1-7 ATS when playing at home against Pac-12 opponents this season. Back the road dog.
Pick: Washington State +5.5 (-106)
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