by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Jan 15, 2022
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Venue: Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA
Where to watch: FS1
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: USC -6.5
BetMGM: USC -6.5
Caesars: USC -6.5
Season record
Oregon: 10-6 (3-2 Pac-12)
No. 5 USC: 14-1 (4-1 Pac-12)
Power Sports is once again **ON FIRE** in College Hoops with a BLISTERING 11-1 RUN. The winners on Tuesday were James Madison and Akron and - long-term - Power is UP $48,876 IN NCAAB! But that's not all! Power is also a *RED HOT* 18-6 the L4 days with ALL selections! The time to subscribe is NOW! Catch Power's plays available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Oregon - USC preview, analysis and prediction
This is suddenly a more intriguing game than it was a week ago. The Oregon Ducks provide a more formidable matchup than it would've been.
That being said, I still like the USC Trojans to pull this one out and keep things rolling on their home court on Saturday.
After reaching their first top-5 ranking in almost five decades this week, USC took a slight step back after being upset by Stanford on Tuesday. The Trojans bounced back, as expected, to defeat Oregon State 81-71 on Thursday.
The problem if you fully believed the Trojans would rebound on the books is they didn't as 14-point favorites against Oregon State. The Beavers took a 5-point lead into halftime and USC had to put together a more complete second half in order to rally.
Say what you will about the lengthy layoff from the COVID issues surrounding the Pac-12, but it's still crazy to think that USC would struggle as much as it did against a three-win OSU team. Isaiah Mobley was held to just 11 points on 3 of 10, but Chevez Goodwin bailed out his teammates with a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double. Drew Peterson also had 17 points.
"We haven't had a lot of practice time and I think that has hurt us, but there's no excuses. We have to figure this out quickly and our players have to get back to the flow we had," USC coach Andy Enfield said.
USC's struggles the past couple of games come at a horrible time considering its opponent just upset No. 3 UCLA down the road. The Ducks, also having gone through a COVID shutdown, are on a four-game winning streak and appear to have turned a corner at the right time. Jacob Young had 23 points on 11 of 18 shooting.
This game is a crapshoot to guess. I keep coming back to USC not performing well in that game against Oregon State, knowing that an Oregon team on an emotional high is coming into their building. But having played their third game in six days, this should be the game that the Trojans look like their pre-shutdown self. Take USC with the cover. USC by 10
That being said, I still like the USC Trojans to pull this one out and keep things rolling on their home court on Saturday.
After reaching their first top-5 ranking in almost five decades this week, USC took a slight step back after being upset by Stanford on Tuesday. The Trojans bounced back, as expected, to defeat Oregon State 81-71 on Thursday.
The problem if you fully believed the Trojans would rebound on the books is they didn't as 14-point favorites against Oregon State. The Beavers took a 5-point lead into halftime and USC had to put together a more complete second half in order to rally.
Say what you will about the lengthy layoff from the COVID issues surrounding the Pac-12, but it's still crazy to think that USC would struggle as much as it did against a three-win OSU team. Isaiah Mobley was held to just 11 points on 3 of 10, but Chevez Goodwin bailed out his teammates with a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double. Drew Peterson also had 17 points.
"We haven't had a lot of practice time and I think that has hurt us, but there's no excuses. We have to figure this out quickly and our players have to get back to the flow we had," USC coach Andy Enfield said.
USC's struggles the past couple of games come at a horrible time considering its opponent just upset No. 3 UCLA down the road. The Ducks, also having gone through a COVID shutdown, are on a four-game winning streak and appear to have turned a corner at the right time. Jacob Young had 23 points on 11 of 18 shooting.
This game is a crapshoot to guess. I keep coming back to USC not performing well in that game against Oregon State, knowing that an Oregon team on an emotional high is coming into their building. But having played their third game in six days, this should be the game that the Trojans look like their pre-shutdown self. Take USC with the cover. USC by 10
Betting trends
Oregon is 23-20 ATS in the past three seasons following a conference game.
The over is 31-13 in Oregon's last 44 conference games.
USC is 20-4 straight up in Saturday games the past three seasons.
USC is 20-10 straight up off a win against a conference rival the past three seasons.
Projected starting lineup
Oregon:
PG: Will Richardson
SG: Jacob Young
SF: De'Vion Harmon
PF: Quincy Guerrier
C: N'Faly Dante
SF: De'Vion Harmon
PF: Quincy Guerrier
C: N'Faly Dante
USC:
PG: Ethan Anderson
SG: Boogie Ellis
SF: Drew Peterson
PF: Chevez Goodwin
C: Isaiah Mobley
SF: Drew Peterson
PF: Chevez Goodwin
C: Isaiah Mobley
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Oregon - USC prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college basketball projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
