Free College Pick – Thursday, March 4, 2010
USC Trojans (16-12) vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (20-9)
The Arizona State Sun Devils are still in the hunt for a PAC 10 title as they host division rivals the USC Trojans on Thursday night at Wells-Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
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The Trojans lead the head-to-head series with ASU, 49-32, including a 47-37 decision in the first meeting of the season back on Jan 2 at the Galen Center.
USC’ self-imposed sanction will keep the team from participating in the postseason, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered much anyway as the Trojans are stumbling down the stretch, having dropped three straight games, including a 49-44 defeat to Oregon State on Saturday. Mike Gerrity scored 13 points, while Dwight Lewis, who leads the Trojans with 13.7 ppg, had 11 points on 3-of-6 long-range buckets in the loss. USC shot an anemic 29.4 percent from the floor, and had trouble hanging onto the ball, committing 20 turnovers. Sophomore forward, 6-foot-10 Nikola Vucevic leads with a team-high 9.8 rpg. The Trojans are averaging just 59 ppg, but are holding opponents to 56.1 points per contest.
The Devils meanwhile, ended a four-game win streak coming off a 62-46 loss at California on Saturday. The loss took away the chance ASU would be the No.1 seed in the upcoming PAC 10 tourney, but they could still earn a share of the league crown, with a win over Southern California and a loss from Cal. Jerren Shipp scored 14 points to pace the Sun Devils, while the team’s leading scorer Ty Abbott (12.3 ppg), chipped in with eight. Abbott tops the Devils roster for three-pointers at 42.2 percent. Junior guard Rihards Kuksiks follows shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. ASU is scoring 67.6 ppg while holding foes to just 58.7.
The odds makers have the Sun Devils as –8-point favorites in this one.
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Although USC’s season is over, they will hope to play spoiler to ASU’s share of the PAC 10 title.
With better shooting, this one should go to the Sun Devils as they win by a close 3-points at home.
- USC is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of USC’s last 7 games
- USC is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
- USC is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- Arizona State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
- Arizona State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona State’s last 6 games
- Arizona State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
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