USC vs California: PAC-10 Tournament Picks & Predictions
Written March 12, 2009 by Jordan Haimowitz
The Trojans are arguably the number one team who did not live up to their expectations this year. USC was so hyped up people were talking about them as pre-season favorites to take the Pac-10 title. Their McDonald’s All-American freshman DeMar DeRozan is finally catching on and getting into a groove. They have a sensational point guard in Daniel Hackett who is averaging 12 PPG, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. While Taj Gibson has been a big disappointment this year, he is still a threat inside and a handful for teams to match up against due to his size and athleticism. USC averages 68 PPG which is a decent number, but it’s their defense that is superb. They give up only 63 PPG while holding opponents to an amazing 40% from the field. The Trojans main problem this year has been that they have no go to guy. No player that really demands the ball late in the game. DeRozan has showed saigns of that late in the year and Coach Tim Floyd will hope that come tonight he will see a breakout performance. USC has some good conference wins which include vs Arizona, vs Arizona State, vs California, vs Stanford and swept a home and away with Washington State. Will the focused Trojan squad and their well balanced attack come out full force? or will they come out flat with lack of energy? Daniel Hackett will be the unquestionable key factor for the Trojans as he will go head to head with Cal’s Star point guard Jerome Randle. Stay tuned. If you bet on college basketball, the odds for this game have been set with USC as a 1.5 point underdog against Cal.
The California Golden Bears were the most surprising team in the PAC-10. They had a 22-9 record to end the year and are a virtual lock to get an NCAA tourney bid regardless of the outcome tonight. They are led by a dominating PG in Jerome Randle who averages 18 PPG, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. He is beyond a shadow of a doubt the engine that makes this team run. Pat Christopher is a nice contributor for Cal averaging 15 PPG and 4 rebounds. The Golden Bears have a very explosive offense and play their games in transition. They are the complete opposite of The Trojans as they much prefer a slow grind it out style. The Bears average 75 PPG while giving up 68 PPG. Cal’s swept the season series against Arizona and Washington State. They also defeated UCLA at home as well as Arizona State at home. Jerome Randle must get the better of Daniel Hackett tonight for The Bears to get the victory. The interesting factor to see is if Cal will come out with must win intensity knowing they are as i said a virtual lock for tournament with not only a record of 22-9 but an 11-7 record in the conference.
Prediction: This game to me is a mirror image of the Cleveland State vs Butler game(which i predicted the upset by the Vikings). You have one team that MUST keep their season going to have any chance at getting an NCAA bid while another team has almost certainly punched their ticket. We have seen many of these situations so far most recent with Texas A&M slacking off and blowing a 22 point lead last night. The last eight meetings between these two teams the favorite is 6-2 ATS. California in the favorite tonight. USC is 6-2 ATS in their last eight Thursday night games. USC is 14-14 ATS this year while California is 16-12. They split the season series with USC winning at home 73-62 and Cal winning at home in overtime 81-78. Folks, the stats and trends in this game will steer you in the wrong direction. Expect USC to play one of their best games of the year and Hackett will neutralize Randle, DeRozan will outplay Christopher and Taj Gibson will make his impact felt on the defensive end. USC will win a tough fought game that will be close till the very end.
Regular Season records:
USC 18-12
Califnornia 22-9
Betting Line: California -1.5
Jordan’s Pick: Take USC +1.5
Final Score Prediction(My registered pick is listed above)
USC 68
California 64
Get more college basketball picks and check the NCAA basketball odds on every game right here at Betfirms.
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- USC vs Arizona State: PAC-10 Conference Tournament Predictions
- Cal v. USC Pac-10 Tournament Predictions
- California at Minnesota Football Picks
- California at Stanford College Football Odds
- NCAA Football Odds: Arizona vs California
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