by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Jan 13, 2022
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Venue: Galen center, Los Angeles, CA
Where to watch: ESPNU
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: USC -15
BetMGM: USC -15.5
Caesars: USC -15
Season record
Oregon State: 3-11 (1-3 Pac-12)
No. 5 USC: 13-1 (3-1 Pac-12)
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Oregon State - USC preview, analysis and prediction
Recent form
Oregon State: lost 78-76 vs. Oregon on Monday
USC: lost 75-69 at Stanford on Tuesday
There is a very angry team coming back to Los Angeles from Palo Alto. Oregon State is in the crosshairs and may we all say our prayers to the Beavers.
There is a very angry team coming back to Los Angeles from Palo Alto. Oregon State is in the crosshairs and may we all say our prayers to the Beavers.
The USC Trojans, because college basketball is weird, lost their first game of the season on Tuesday against the Stanford Cardinal. Part of me wanted to believe that it was a trap game, but I also believed fully in the athleticism and length in the frontcourt players.
Clearly, Harrison Ingram was the kryptonite for USC. The Stanford forward had 21 points as the Cardinal got their first win over a top-5 team since the Bush Administration. That three-week break clearly proved well for Stanford.
But USC, who was put in the top-5 for the first time in almost 50 years on Monday, went cold at the worst time. The Trojans shot 6 of 21 from 3-point range and also missed 11 free throws. Compare that to Stanford making four more threes and being more efficient from the charity stripe, and it was just an awful combination for this group.
Isaiah Mobley did his part with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists on a weird shooting line. Mobley went 3 of 5 from the floor, all makes were threes, and he went 7 of 9 from the free-throw line. Thank you for at least showing up to the party, Isaiah.
"We just didn't defend at a high enough level, and offensively we couldn't make open shots," USC coach Andy Enfield said. "We had plenty of good looks. ... Our offense didn't give our defense much margin for error. We weren't good on either side of the ball, as we have been for most of the season."
It's fair to say USC has overachieved to this point because no one expected the Trojans to be as good as they have been. If any program in the top-5 is allowed a slip-up at any time, it’s the one that hasn’t been in it since the ‘70s.
Enfield should have this team ready to go against an Oregon State team that was 1-10 before winning consecutive home games against Nicholls State and Utah. The Beavers are coming off a 2-point loss to Oregon at home; this will be OSU’s first road game since Dec. 2 after losing by 12 to Cal.
An angry USC team combined with a home crowd that will surely be hyped on a Thursday night is not a great combo for the Beavers. If you thought Mobley was great, get ready to watch him dominate against a three-win basketball team. USC by 20
Betting trends
Oregon State is 26-14 ATS as an underdog in the past three seasons.
Oregon State is 10-3 ATS in its past 13 following three straight overs.
USC is 10-3 ATS in the past three seasons following two straight games of 12 assists or less.
USC is 50-7 straight up as a favorite over the past three seasons.
Projected starting lineup
Oregon State:
PG: Dashawn Davis
SG: Jarod Lucas
SF: Dexter Akanno
PF: Warith Alatishe
C: Roman Silva
SF: Dexter Akanno
PF: Warith Alatishe
C: Roman Silva
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
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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.
