Arizona opens as sizable underdog for visit to USC

The point spreads keep getting bigger for the Arizona Wildcats, who can’t seem to figure out how to hold a lead but have been pretty good at covering.

According to DraftKings SportsBook, the UA has opened as a 19.5-point underdog for Saturday’s game at USC, which is set to air at 4 p.m. MST on ESPNU.

The Wildcats (0-7, 0-4 Pac-12) covered the 17-point spread for their last outing against Washington, a 21-16 loss in which they blew a 13-0 halftime lead to drop their 19^th consecutive game.

This will be the fifth time the UA has been a dog of at least two scores, and it is 3-1 against the spread in the previous four. The only exception was the 34-16 home loss to UCLA on Oct. 9, which saw the Bruins cover a 16-point spread with a late field goal.

Including Saturday, Arizona will have been the underdog against USC (3-4, 2-3) in seven consecutive meetings, going 2-4 against the spread in the previous six. The Wildcats nearly beat the Trojans to open the 2020 season, falling 34-30 at home in the final minute as 15-point dogs.

The 19.5-point spread would be the largest for the UA against USC since 2007, when as 20.5-point dogs it fell 20-13 in Los Angeles. The Wildcats’ last win at the Coliseum came in 2009.