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March Madness continues on Friday as the round of 64 is moving along! USC and Miami will clash as these two historic Universities get ready to face off in the Big Dance! It's time to continue our March Madness odds series with a Miami-USC prediction and pick.
10th-seeded Miami ended the season (23-10) after losing to No. 7 Duke in the ACC Tournament Semifinal. Prior to the loss to Duke, Miami won their previous three games which helped them make a bid for the Big Dance. The Canes finished fourth in the ACC with a (14-6) conference record. This will be a tough matchup for the Canes as they face one of the top teams out West. USC has wins over No. 12 UCLA, Oregon, and San Diego State this season.
The University of California comes into this game as the 7-seed after a successful season in the Pac-12 Conference. A (26-7) record established them as a ranked team for most of the season. The Trojans lost to No. 13 UCLA in the Pac-12 Semifinal by 10 points where USC was ranked 21. USC will now face a solid team in Miami who has wins over No. 2 Duke, North Carolina, and ACC Tournament winner Virginia Tech in 2022.
Here are the Miami-USC March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Miami-USC Odds
Miami: +2.5 (-110)
USC: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 139.5 (-110)
Under: 139.5 (-110)
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Why Miami Could Cover The Spread
Miami will need to win this game with their offensive attack. They contain four players who all average north of 10 points per game this season. Senior Kameron McGusty averages 17.6 points per game which is 84th in the country. McGusty notched 24 in the loss to Duke. Isiah Wong is another huge part of their offense averaging 15.2 points per game but scored just seven in the loss to the Blue Devils. He will need to improve his game because USC contains a solid defense. The Trojans are 79th in the nation allowing just 65 points per game.
A major part of that is Isiah Mobley. Statistically, he's not putting up major defensive numbers, just 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. But if you watch any film opponents have a lot of trouble creating chances against him. On the other side of the floor, Mobley averages 14.3 points per game and 8.5 rebounds. The Canes will need to make sure he isn't a factor Friday or else they could be going home early. USC also contains four players who average double-digits in scoring.
Why USC Could Cover The Spread
USC is known for their defense and that will be what covers this spread. The Trojans must make sure McGusty doesn't get into any rhythm because he can take over a game easily. I'm sure Wong will improve off of his last game and so that's where they will need to focus most of their attention. McGusty and guards Charlie Moore and Jordan Miller average at least 1.7 steals per game individually. As a team, they allow 71 points per game. I've been raving about USC's defense, but the Canes also play hard on that side of the floor snd create a ton of turnovers, something USC actually doesn't do very well.
USC has a 6.6 point-differential compared to Miami's 3.7 on the season. If the Trojans are playing well on both sides, they should be able to win this game. Mobley will need to be a huge factor and the same goes for Boogie Ellis. The San Diego native averages 12.8 points per game for USC and is coming off of a 27-point game in the loss to UCLA. If USC controls the game and doesn't turn the ball over, they should be able to cover this spread and win by at least a basket.
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Final Miami-USC Prediction & Pick
Miami is (18-15) against the spread and USC is (15-18). This is a tough pick. I think both teams are pretty much evenly matched. USC is better on defense but on the flip side, Miami is the better offensive team. They call it madness for a reason so take the upset here. McGusty and Miami can cover this +1.5 spread.
Final Miami-USC Prediction & Pick: Miami +2.5 (-110)
