The California Golden Bears are underdogs in their matchup against the USC Trojans, according to the latest men’s college basketball lines and odds offered by sportsbooks.

Cal v. USC men’s college basketball betting pick, odds and lines: Who is favored to win?

According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest college basketball betting odds for Cal v. USC is Cal +8.5, as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Cal +8.5 line implies the California Golden Bears are about nine-point underdogs against the USC Trojans.

Cal v. USC men’s college basketball: What you should know

The California Golden Bears are 2-1 in the 2026-2027 men’s college basketball season, while the USC Trojans are 2-0.

The USC Trojans started the season ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press’ pre-season top-25 poll and No. 22 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. USC is ranked the same in both polls heading into its game against Cal.

The California Golden Bears have a 138-134 record against the USC Trojans in a series dating back to 1916. Cal has won the last two meetings, including its last game, a 82-74 win in Los Angeles in 2024, when both teams were Pac-12 Conference members.

Cal lost to No. 10 Houston, 68-86, this past weekend in a neutral-site pre-season tournament. The nationally ranked Cougars sailed to a win, leading by 11 points at halftime and turning that advantage to as many as 23 points in the second half.

At the same pre-season tournament, the No. 21 USC Trojans fought for a narrow 93-86 win against Wichita State Shockers. Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas scored career-high 32 and 30 points, respectively.

Cal is 1-0 against the spread in the 2026-2027 men’s college basketball season, and USC is currently 2-0 when a point handicap is considered.

Cal has had one “over” game, while USC has had one “over” and one “under” point-total result this season.

According to Vegas Insider, which reports sportsbooks’ offered odds and lines, the Cal v. USC men’s college basketball line opened earlier this week at about Cal +7.5. The Cal v. USC total for “over-or-under” total score bets opened at about 160.5 points. The same website reports the Cal v. USC moneyline opened at about Cal +235 and USC -290.

According to Vegas Insider, 66% of Cal v. USC men’s college basketball bets with a point spread have been on USC, 66% of Cal v. USC “over-or-under” total score bets have been on the over and 99% of Cal v. USC moneyline bets have been on the favorites, the USC Trojans.

Vegas Insider also reports 65% of the dollars wagered on Cal v. USC with a point spread have been on USC , 63% of total score bets have been on the “over” and 96% of dollars bet on the Cal v. USC moneyline have been on the favorites, the USC Trojans.

Subscribe now

Bet responsibly. Odds and betting lines can change. Write for California provides betting information for context and entertainment purposes.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available at 1-800-GAMBLER.

Write For California

Cal v. USC College Basketball 2026 Betting…