No. 21-ranked USC will make its way to Berkeley to take on California as the Trojans look to remain undefeated. USC is coming off a hard-fought battle against Wichita State, where the Trojans allowed the Shockers to shoot 48.1% from the field. USC will need to be careful in this matchup, as California is dangerous from beyond the arc. The Golden Bears are shooting 44% from three-point range through their first three games, averaging 12.3 made three-pointers per game. USC is allowing opponents to shoot 35.7% from the deep, and if Cal finds its rhythm from the perimeter, the Trojans could find themselves in a high-scoring competitive matchup.
USC has plenty of offensive firepower to put up points in this game. Averaging 94 points per game, the Trojans will look to Alijah Arenas, who leads the team with 25.5 points per game. The Golden Bears have plenty of offensive firepower of their own, averaging 89 points per game, with Michael Cooper leading the way at 19.7 points per game. Defensively, California is allowing 80.7 points per game compared to USC’s 74.5. The Trojans do an excellent job of attacking the paint, getting to the free-throw line and creating quality scoring opportunities. With both offenses playing efficiently and capable of scoring in multiple ways, I’m expecting an entertaining matchup with plenty of offensive production.
USC vs California prediction: Over 161.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.
