USC Trojans vs Colorado Buffaloes Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/23/2023

Game Time: 9:00 pm ET, Thursday, February 23, 2023

Venue:  CU Events Center, Boulder, CO

Where to Watch:  ESPN2

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  USC +1.5, Colorado -1.5; Over/Under:  141 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  USC +1.5, Colorado -1.5; Over/Under:  141 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  USC +1.5, Colorado -1.5; Over/Under:  141 points

USC Trojans:  19-8 (11-5) (3rd place, PAC-12)

Colorado Buffaloes:  15-13 (7-10) (9th place, PAC-12)

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USC Trojans:  3-2  last 5

Colorado Buffaloes:  3-2  last 5

USC is coming into this game with a 19-8 record overall and they are 3-5 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 11-5 in their conference games this season as well. They are entering this game on a 2 game winning streak with wins coming against the California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal in their last game. Boogie Ellis led the team in points in that game with 33 while Drew Peterson was next on the team with 21 points. Boogie Ellis led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Drew Peterson and Kobe Johnson each led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 49.2% from the field, 52% from 3-point range, and 87.5% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 72.7 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67 PPG against them. USC has an ATS record of 15-12 this season and their O/U record is 14-13.

Colorado is coming into this game with a 15-13 record overall and they are 11-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 7-10 in their conference schedule this season as well. They are entering this game off of a loss against the Arizona Wildcats in their last game. Tristan da Silva led the team in points in that game with 18 while Javon Ruffin was next on the team with 13 points. KJ Simpson led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Luke O'Brien led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 38.7% from the field, 29.2% from 3-point range, and 72.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 70.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 66.1 PPG against them. Colorado has an ATS record of 11-16-1 this season and their O/U record is 12-16.

The current betting odds have Colorado listed as a 1.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Colorado hasn't been having a great season with their 15-13 record overall and they have even been struggling to win games in the PAC-12 as they are 7-10 in their conference play. They have been a really good home team though with an 11-2 home record this season and most of their wins all season have come on their home court. USC has been having a much better season with a much better team and their 19-8 record overall. They are also 11-5 in their conference games this season as they have been one of the best teams in the PAC-12 all year, but they haven't been great in their road games with a 3-5 road record and their 2 wins in a row from their last 2 games came against some very bad teams in the conference. USC has been up and down in road games all year but that is not going to be enough here with Colorado having such a strong home advantage due to the altitude too. The best way to place a bet here is on Colorado to cover the spread in this game.

USC Colorado Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Thursday, February 23, 2023 (9:00 pm ET start time) is Colorado 72 USC 66.

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USC Trojans: 12-6 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 18-8 UNDER in a road game where the total is 140 to 144.5. 12-7 UNDER after 2 or more consecutive overs.

Colorado Buffaloes: 6-13 ATS as a favorite. 2-12 ATS after playing 3 consecutive road games. 14-4 UNDER off a road loss.

USC Trojans:  J. Morgan (F) Out indefinitely - Ankle.

Colorado Buffaloes:  J. Hadley (G) out for season - Hand.

"That's a good win for our team. Stanford is playing very good basketball so this was a tough game for us. They just beat Arizona. They've been playing very well. Our players knew they had to come out with some energy. It's nice to be home here on our home court where we've won 14 straight. I think our guys after getting down early in the game really turned it around on defense and started making shots. We're pretty good when we make shots." - Andy Enfield after his team’s win against Stanford in their last game. 

“I talked to the team after our film session (Monday) and I asked them how many of you are doing what Evan did last year. Not one hand went up. The one thing I can’t do as a coach is I can’t make them want it. They have to want it themselves. It really comes down to how much time guys put in on their own. And the answer to that is not enough.” - Tad Boyle on his team’s 3-point woes this season.

B. Ellis 

K. Johnson 

J. Morgan 

D. Peterson 

T. White

N. Clifford 

T. Da Silva 

J. Hadley

L. Lovering 

K. Simpson

PPG: B. Ellis (17.1)

APG: D. Peterson (4.5)

Reb/G: D. Peterson (6.4)

PPG: T. Da Silva (16.4)

APG: K. Simpson (3.9)

Reb/G: J. Hadley (5.9)

Coaches:

USC Trojans: Andy Enfield (10th season)

Colorado Buffaloes: Tad Boyle (13th season)