There aren’t many compelling lines in the world of college basketball tonight, but Andy Enfield’s USC Trojans certainly look like an interesting play as they host Cal Poly at the Galen Center.
USC -9 vs. Cal Poly
The Mustangs have gone on the road to both UNLV and UCLA this season, losing by two and five points respectively, proving that they’re more than capable of hanging with the big boys of the region, but they’re just 3-4 ATS this season, including a 30 points boat racing at the hands of St. Mary’s (CA) in their last game.
For the Trojans, who sit at 8-2 on the year, they’ve gone 7-3 ATS on the year, with all three losses coming in the past five games. The key for USC seems to be limiting the deep ball by the opposition, something they’ll have to prove the ability to stop tonight. Cal Poly shoots over 38-percent as a team from behind the arc.
The progression of Jordan McLaughlin has been paramount for Enfield’s group, as he’s beginning to show folks why he was one of the top rated point guards coming out of the high school ranks in the 2014 class. His efficiency rates are staggering compared to a year ago, some of which is likely due to a stronger supporting cast around him, including star freshman Bennie Boatwright. On the other side, Joel Awich has taken on a more prominent role for Poly, tossing in 13.1 points per game to go along with 5.9 rebounds, on career high shooting from the field.
USC has shown the ability to stomp out inferior opponents, while Cal Poly has also shown the ability to keep things close–something has to give, though. This is the only game of the night that looks like a smart play one way or another, so I’m going with the Trojans to pull away late and cover here.
