Online Sportsbook Picks – Can USC Upset Pac-10 Heavyweight Arizona?

The Online Sportsbook is now open, and ready to take your action on the big college hoops game of the evening.

No game is bigger than the one in sunny Los Angeles, where the USC Trojans host the Arizona Wildcats.

Thursday, February 23: 10:30 p.m.

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? Find out more exciting details HERE.]

No. 10 Arizona Wildcats (23-4 SU, 15-9-1 ATS) at USC Trojans (15-12 SU, 11-11-4 ATS)

Basketball Betting Odds:

Arizona: PK

USC: PK

For Arizona, it really has been a dream season for second-year coach Sean Miller, as he has the Wildcats playing well, at the top of the Pac-10 standings, and coming off their best win of the season Saturday over Washington. Arizona is now 8-0 in their last eight games, with a 6-1-1 record against the spread. Simply put, they’ve been one of the smartest Online Sportsbook picks in college basketball of late.

Going back to Saturday’s win for a second, it was important on many levels, including as the coming out party for Arizona forward Derrick Williams. The 6’8 sophomore from California could easily be the most underrated player in all of college basketball betting, as he’s averaging 19 points and eight rebounds a game, yet never gets thrown into the discussion for National Player of the Year. In that Online Sportsbook win over Washington, Williams was again spectacular, scoring 26 points, adding 11 rebounds and getting two crucial blocks, including one which sealed the win.

So what chance does USC have in this game Thursday night? A better shot than you’d think.

The Trojans enter this one at just 7-7 in league play, and but are 3-1 straight up in their last four games. And they’re also one of the few teams out West that has the size to contend with Williams down low, courtesy of Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic is a 6’10 junior and force in the paint, who is averaging 17 points and a Pac-10 best 10.1 rebounds per game. Most importantly, he’s coming off a monster performance with 19 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday afternoon, in a win at Stanford.

So is Vucevic enough for USC to spring the Online Sportsbook upset? We think so.

Well, we take that back, because to say that Vucevic would pull the upset by himself is a bit of an understatement. The Trojans have several good players alongside him, including forward Alex Stephenson (9.7 points, 8.7 rebounds per game) and Jio Fontan, who is averaging a team-high 3.8 rebounds.

Also, we’re a little worried about Arizona’s psyche here. This is a young team, with many players experiencing success for the first time in their careers. After a win against Washington on Saturday, and a trip to face UCLA on this Saturday, will they be excited for a game at USC sandwiched in between? It’s hard to say, but to us it seems a stay away for the Wildcats.

Instead, go ahead and wager on the USC Trojans. They might not have a lofty ranking like Arizona, but when it comes to the Online Sportsbook, they’re the pick to make!

Online Sportsbook Pick: USC PK