Cal State-Northridge vs USC Prediction College Basketball Picks 12/18/24

The Cal State Northridge Matadors and the USC Trojans meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Galen Center. Here’s a CSU-Northridge vs USC prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best CSU-Northridge vs USC pick. We will examine:

The CSU-Northridge Matadors’ recent form and player performance

The USC Trojans’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the CSU-Northridge Matadors

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the USC Trojans

Recent betting trends in games played between CSU-Northridge and USC

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the CSU-Northridge vs USC game

CSU-Northridge Matadors Betting Preview

Cal State Northridge got off to a 5-1 start with wins over Le Moyne, Nobel, Sac State, Utah Tech, and Denver. It’s been a 2-2 run since then with losses to Montana and UC Riverside mixed with wins over Montana State and Cal Poly.

In the Cal Poly matchup back on December 7, the Matadors jumped out to a 51-34 edge in the first half. CSU Northridge finished with 51 more points in a 102-91 victory. PJ Fuller led the way on 22 points with seven assists and three steals.

USC Trojans Betting Preview

Over on the Trojans’ side, they beat Chattanooga, Idaho State, TX-Arlington, San Jose State, and Grambling during a 5-1 start of their own. USC would lose to St. Mary’s, New Mexico, and Oregon before two more wins over Washington and Montana State.

Matched up against the Bobcats on Sunday, the Trojans came out of the break with a 47-21 edge. USC cruised on 42 more points for an 89-63 win. Leading team scorer Desmond Claude finished with 19 points and six boards.

Why the USC Trojans will win

• USC has won each of its last 15 Wednesday night games against non-conference opponents.
• Cal State Northridge has lost the first half in four of its last five road games against non-conference opponents.

Why the Cal State Northridge Matadors will win

• Cal State Northridge has won four of its last five road games.
• USC has lost each of its last three night games.

CSU Northridge vs USC Prediction

I’ll stay with the Trojans. USC drilled a pretty average Montana State team with 50.8 percent shooting and 49 rebounds in their last outing. The Trojans did cough up 11 turnovers but also gave out a lot of minutes down the bench in a good all-around effort. USC has now scored a combined 174 points in their last two games after posting 60 or fewer in two of three.

As for the Matadors, they shot 50 percent from the field with 47 rebounds during their latest win over Cal Poly. CSU Northridge has generally scored well this year. They’ve hit 72 or more points in eight of 10 games overall. That said, facing USC on their home court after an 11-day layoff will be a daunting task. I like the Trojans to control the pace here.