USC vs Arizona State Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today's College Basketball Game

USC has the advantage in several key areas over Arizona State, so our college basketball betting picks will pick the Trojans to cover in the Maui Invitational Final.

Chris Hatfield - Contributor at Covers.com
Chris Hatfield • Betting Analyst
Nov 26, 2025 • 09:57 ET • 4 min read

NCAAB

Match starts: 4 hrs
ASU
59 %
USC
41 %
Read Analysis
USC Trojans NCAAM Chad Baker-Mazara
Photo By - Imagn Images. USC Trojans forward Chad Baker-Mazara (4) shoots the ball.

The Maui Invitational Final greets us this afternoon when USC faces off against Arizona State for the championship.

USC held off Seton Hall for a tight win yesterday, and later that night, Arizona State scored an eye-popping 58 second-half points to defeat Washington State.

My USC vs. Arizona State predictions and college basketball picks for Wednesday, November 26 see the Trojans rewarding the chalk-players.

USC vs Arizona State prediction

USC vs Arizona State best bet: USC -5.5 (-110)

The natural inclination in this matchup would be to take the Over with two high-powered offenses in a high-tempo game and two suspect defenses on the floor. However, some of that goes out the window when you consider the two teams are playing their third game in as many days and the situations surrounding those games.

Because of this, I’m often inclined to lean into the team that has more clear paths to easy baskets. That’s quite clearly the USC Trojans, and I’ll grab them to get the cover.

Of the many advantages that jump out here, perhaps the one that is the most glaring is the simplest: the free-throw line.

The Trojans’ large athletic prowess against their opponent has been on display more often than not this year, and it’s helped them to the fifth-highest free throw rate in the country. That’s quite an issue for an Arizona State Sun Devils team that has fouled at an enormously high clip this season.

So often in these types of environments, the tilting factors aren’t as granular. It’s the little things, like free-throw disparities, that can tilt the game as much as any other.

Sure, I view the Trojans as having more overall talent, less shot volatility, and a serious physicality edge. That helps too. It’s just another reason why I expect them to cover, and I’d play this to -7.

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USC vs Arizona State same-game parlay

Even with tired legs, both defenses will struggle to defend. More importantly, they are particularly bad in transition.

I expect a sloppy game that’s played at a rather quick pace, and when you couple that with USC going to the stripe so often, it’s a good environment for the Over.

USC vs Arizona State SGP

  • USC -5.5
  • Over 164.5

USC vs Arizona State odds

  • Spread: USC -5.5 | Arizona State +5.5
  • Moneyline: USC -235 | Arizona State +190
  • Over/Under: Over 164.5 | Under 164.5

USC vs Arizona State betting trend to know

USC has hit the Moneyline in 19 of their last 35 games (+9.50 Units / 3% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for USC vs. Arizona State.

How to watch USC vs Arizona State

Location Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, HI
Date Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Tip-off 2:30 p.m. ET
TV ESPN

USC vs Arizona State key injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Chris Hatfield - Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Chris has always had a passion for three things: solving problems, sports, and writing. It’s no wonder then that he found himself attracted to the sports betting industry. You can find Chris betting every day. Whether it’s shot prop markets in Champions League Soccer qualifiers or NBA Summer League, he has no offseason. As an EV+ bettor, he especially values the insight gained through a data-driven approach.

His work has been featured on various websites such as SBNation, Rivals, Bleacher Report, and 247Sports. He has appeared on radio outlets such as ESPN 680 and The Sharp 600 podcast. You can listen to his own podcast, “What High School Did You Go To?” on Apple Podcast and Soundcloud.

Chris has carved out a niche as a college basketball originator with massive profitability success in that sport and stresses one piece of advice to sports bettors: exploit edges as broadly as possible and take advantage of them while they last. His preferred sportsbook is bet365 because of the range of markets you can find.

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