The No. 7 seed Oregon Ducks have a chance to erase one of the few blemishes during their late-season surge when they meet the sixth-seeded USC Trojans in a Sweet 16 matchup of the 2021 NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Ducks (21-6) have lost only twice in their last 14 games and have a chance to avenge one of those setbacks — a 72-58 road defeat to the Pac-12 rival Trojans on Feb. 22. Oregon barely edged out USC for the Pac-12’s regular-season title but both teams put on impressive displays with dominant second-round victories over higher seeds.
Tip-off is at 9:45 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Trojans as two-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 138 in the latest USC vs. Oregon odds. Before making any Oregon vs. USC picks, check out the March Madness college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Southern Cal vs. Oregon in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Oregon vs. Southern Cal:
- USC vs. Oregon spread: USC -2
- USC vs. Oregon over-under: 138 points
- USC vs. Oregon money line: USC -135; Oregon +115
- USC: The Trojans are 5-2 in their last seven vs. Oregon
- ORE: The Ducks are 4-0 ATS in he Sweet 16 under coach Dana Altman
Why USC can cover
The Trojans have a huge advantage inside with 7-foot freshman sensation Evan Mobley and his brother Isaiah, who combined for 27 points, 21 rebounds and four blocked shots in the romp over Kansas. Evan Mobley is in the conversation for the top overall pick in the NBA Draft, but he had only 11 points and five rebounds in last month’s 72-58 home win over Oregon. The Trojans won handily despite Isaiah Mobley missing the game with a calf injury.
Even without the 6-10 1/2 Isaiah Mobley, USC manhandled Oregon on the backboards by a 39-26 margin while limiting the Ducks to a season-low point total. Second-leading scorer Tahj Eaddy did much of the damage in that game, scoring 24 points and hitting six 3-pointers as the Trojans opened a 21-point halftime lead. USC ranks among the top five nationally in adjusted field goal defense and defensive field goal percentage.
Why Oregon can cover
Senior Chris Duarte is among five finalists for the Naismith Jerry West Award, which goes to the top shooting guard in the country. He tops five players in double figures for the Ducks and is one of only two players in the nation who is averaging 17.0 points and 1.8 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field. Duarte is the lone player to rank in the top 10 in the Pac-12 in both field goal percentage (53.3) and 3-point percentage (42.8).
Oregon led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage (47.6) and 3-point field-goal percentage (38.2) and must play to those strengths to counter USC’s size advantage. Eugene Omoruyi and LJ Figueroa, the second and third-leading scorers on the team, have each been dialed in offensively down the stretch. Omoruyi is averaging 17.3 points over his last seven games, while Figueroa is averaging 16.9 in the same span while converting 17-of-36 3-point attempts.
How to make Oregon vs. USC picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 142 points. It also says one side of the spread hits 60 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Oregon vs. USC? And which side of the spread hits 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
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