Arizona State Hits Southern Cal
Sun Devils Face Rugged Road Test Against Trojans
The Arizona State Sun Devils will face the No. 16 Southern California Trojans in a Pacific-12 Conference showdown Monday evening. ASU is losing nearly two games for every win, while USC is quickly climbing the national rankings and contending for a conference championship. It looks like we are in for an exciting match.
- Game: Arizona State Sun Devils (6-10) at Southern California Trojans (16-2)
- Location: Galen Center
- Day/Time: Monday, 11 p.m. ET
- Television: ESPN2
Arizona State Sun Devils at USC Trojans
Road Trip Continues
Monday’s affair will mark the second of three straight road games on the West Coast for the Sun Devils, a journey that began with a 79-76 loss to Stanford last week. They are 6-8 against the spread and head into Los Angeles as heavy underdogs once again.
D.J. Horne is one of three Sun Devils averaging double-digit points, though the team has combined to shoot a woeful 27.8 percent from beyond the arc. One of the three men in double figures, Marcus Bagley, has also only appeared in three games due to a knee injury, which has played a role in their losing record.
With three losses in their last four games, it would certainly be asking a lot for the faltering Sun Devils to get their feet under them against one of the better teams in the land.
USC Climbs Ladder
The Trojans started 13-0 before losing two of their last five games to Stanford and Oregon, though they are still enjoying their best start to the season since the 1970-71 campaign. They are 9-8 against the spread this year and beat Utah 79-67 last time out, after which USC head coach Andy Enfield simply said, “I love our team.”
Isaiah Mobley leads his squad in points (14.8), rebounds (8.8), and assists (3.1) per game, while three other members of the roster averaging more than 10 points. USC is extremely physical and has great size that allows the Trojans to dominate the boards, even if they are not great in the turnover department.
No Longer a Trojan Horse
Pac-12 teams have often been discredited in recent seasons for their lack of ability and tendencies to underperform in the NCAA Tournament. However, this USC team is legit and could help end the stigma against West Coast schools.
Arizona State was dealt an unfortunate blow with the injury to Bagley, but with or without him, the Sun Devils do not stack up with their impending opponent. Underdog teams with less size usually need to depend on clutch three-point shot-making to seize victories, or at least cover the spread, but the ASU players do not possess this potential.
This game is far more likely to end in a blowout in favor of the No. 16 team, even if they have not been tremendous against the spread thus far. It also could help give the Trojans a major boost in their climb toward the conference title, with their current mark of 6-2 falling a half-game behind the third-ranked Arizona Wildcats at 5-0.
Regardless of what the sportsbooks say, USC is primed to make its bettors a ton of money.
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