USC vs. Long Beach State Prediction, Odds, Line, Pick, and Preview: December 14

Long Beach State Beach (4-5) will play the USC Trojans (7-3) in an interstate matchup on Wednesday night.

After picking up a massive win against Vermont, LBSU has dropped back-to-back road games against Utah Valley and Sacramento State. Leading scorer and 2021-22 All-Big West honoree Joel Murray dropped a season-high 21 points in the 76-74 loss to Sac State. St. Louis transfer Lassina Traore followed up with a 16-rebound double-double with 15 points and four rebounds in 26 minutes. VCU transfer Marcus Tsohonis added 14 points of his own, but the Beach shot 56% from the free throw line in a narrow defeat.

USC vs. Long Beach State Betting Odds

Team	Spread	Over/Under	Moneyline
Long Beach State	+12	0145.5	+575
USC Trojans	-12	u145.5	-800

All Lines Provided by DraftKings Sportsbook

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USC is amid a three-game winning streak since going 1-2 in the Bahamas. They most recently put the clamps on Cal State Fullerton in a 64-50 victory.

However, leading scorer Boogie Ellis is still in a rut, scoring in single-digits and shooting under 33% from the field for a third straight game. As Ellis continues to slide, guard Kobe Johnson continues to soar. The sophomore scored 14 points just three days after setting a new career-high with 17. He added five rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 28 minutes.

Blue chip prospect Tre White also had one of his better games in his inaugural campaign, scoring a career-best 15 points on 6-of-9 from the field.

ShotQuality Tale of the Tape

Below, we will highlight essential ShotQuality data for this matchup, including Adjusted Offensive and Defensive SQ, strengths, weaknesses, and frequency. SQppp is a player's average ShotQuality points per possession.

Thus, SQppp = Total SQpoints/Total No. of Possessions

Long Beach State

Offensive Key Stats (inside top 100 or outside top 200)

AdjOFF SQ = 1.03 (118th)

Rim and 3 SQ PPP = 1.09 (94th)

Free Throw Rate (FTR) = 27% (269th)

Rim and 3 Rate = 82.5 (299th)

Open 3 Rate = 13.2% (326th)

Spacing = 3rd Percentile (354th)

Offensive Shot Type: SQ PPP (Strengths & Weaknesses w/top 175 Frequency)

Cut = 1.17 (110th)

Finishing at the Rim = 1.14 (127th)

Isolation = 0.92 (157th)

Transition = 1.25 (254th)

Post-Up = 0.77 (335th)

Midrange = 0.70 (341st)

Defensive key stats (inside top 100 or outside top 200)

AdjDEF SQ = 1.02 (194th)

Open 3 Rate = 17.1% (98th)

Rim and 3 SQ PPP = 1.07 (229th)

Shot Selection = 66th Percentile (259th)

Rim and 3 Rate = 91.3% (341st)

Defensive Shot Type: SQ PPP (Strengths & Weaknesses w/top 175 Frequency)

Catch & Shoot 3PT = 1.01 (73rd)

Cut = 1.16 (255th)*

Isolation = 0.99 (326th)

Midrange = 0.83 (341st)

Post-Up = 0.97 (351st)

* = outside top 175 but added for matchup sake.

USC

Offensive Key Stats (inside top 100 or outside top 200)

AdjOFF SQ = 1.04 (113th)

Rim and 3 SQ PPP = 1.15 (6th)

Shot Selection = 74th Percentile (80th)

FTR = 35.5% (80th)

Spacing = 35th Percentile (227th)

Open 3 Rate = 18.3% (263rd)

Rim and 3 Rate = 78.9% (349th)

Offensive Shot Type: SQ PPP (Strengths & Weaknesses w/top 175 Frequency)

Transition = 1.47 (37th)

Post-Up = 0.95 (39th)

Off the Dribble 3PT = 1.03 (80th)

Off-Screen = 1.05 (80th)

Cut = 1.20 (83rd)

Isolation = 0.96 (85th)

Midrange = 0.81 (89th)

P&R Ball Screen =0.98 (166th)

Defensive key stats (inside top 100 or outside top 200)

AdjDEF SQ = 1.00 (154th)

Rim and 3 Rate = 83.6% (41st)

Shot Selection = 14th Percentile (53rd)

Open 3 Rate = 15.7% (79th)

Shot Making = 22nd Percentile (88th)

FTR = 26.6% (89th)

Spacing = 52nd Percentile (208th)

Defensive Shot Type: SQ PPP (Strengths & Weaknesses w/top 175 Frequency)

P&R Ball Screen = 0.91 (24th)

Half Court = 0.95 (64th)

Off-Screen = 0.95 (68th)

Transition = 1.33 (204th)*

Catch & Shoot 3PT = 1.03 (213th)

Isolation = 0.93 (220th)

* = outside top 175 but added for matchup sake.