USC vs Oregon State Odds
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | -400 |
| Oregon State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | +310 |
The final season of Pac-12 play is underway as both the USC Trojans and Oregon State Beavers have started 0-1 in league play.
The two teams hook up at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Oregon, on Saturday.
USC Trojans
It’s been a rough start for the Men of Troy, as USC has started 6-6 through 12 games.
The Trojans put together a terrific performance in a season-opening blowout of Kansas State, but USC has only one other win against a top-140 team (Seton Hall).
The most recent defeat for Andy Enfield’s squad came on Thursday at Oregon. The Ducks jumped out to a 20-point lead late in the first half before the Trojans rallied back to cut the deficit to four in the final minute. USC closed as 3.5-point road underdogs, while falling to 1-4 against the spread in its last five games.
Trojans leading scorer Boogie Ellis shot 4-of-15 from the floor and scored only 11 points in the loss to Oregon. Ellis exited the 20-point win at Alabama State nine days earlier with a hip injury, and we’ll see how that affects him moving forward.
The other storyline with the Trojans this season has been swirling around Bronny James (LeBron's son) and his first few games of action. Bronny sustained a cardiac arrest during offseason drills and made his USC debut in an overtime loss to Long Beach State on December 10.
James hasn’t played more than 17 minutes in any game and his season-high in points is six, which came in the blowout of Alabama State.
In spite of the 6-6 record, the Trojans are the fourth-ranked team in the Pac-12, according to KenPom (48th), behind Arizona (3rd), Colorado (23rd) and Utah (31st).
Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State has gone through an odyssey over the last four seasons. It started with an improbable Elite Eight appearance in 2021, followed by a 3-28 record in 2022. The Beavers improved to 11-21 last season, and they've started a strong 8-4 this season.
Granted, OSU is the lowest-rated team in the Pac-12 due to beating weak opponents in non-conference play. The Beavers have lost to four top-100 teams, including Nebraska, Baylor and Pittsburgh before dropping their conference opener to UCLA on Thursday.
Oregon State led UCLA, 28-24, at halftime on Thursday as 6.5-point home underdogs before getting outscored 45-34 in the second half.
It didn’t help that Oregon State’s two leading scorers — Jordan Pope and Dexter Akanno — combined to shoot 11-of-31 from the floor in the loss.
The Beavers are ranked fifth in the country in luck factor, according to KenPom, which has contributed to their unfavorably low ranking in the conference. OSU has three wins in overtime and two other victories by a combined four points against Utah Valley and UTSA at home.
Over the last four matchups with USC, Oregon State has been a covering machine by going 4-0 ATS. Last season, the Trojans edged the Beavers as 14-point home favorites, 63-62, while Oregon State upended USC in Corvallis, 61-58, as nine-point ‘dogs.
USC vs. Oregon State
Betting Pick & Prediction
The trends have gone against USC recently from a point spread perspective. However, the Trojans won and covered three of four games last season as a road favorite in Pac-12 play (the loss came at Oregon State).
The Beavers have had the breaks go their way this season, as they could easily be 6-6 instead of 8-4.
USC put together a solid second half at Oregon, despite the loss. The Trojans could easily be 4-1 in the league due to upcoming home games against Cal, Stanford and Washington State. But first, they need to take care of business in Corvallis, which I think they will.
Pick: USC -8 (Play to -9)
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