The USC Trojans take on the Oregon Ducks. Check out our college basketball odds series for our USC Oregon prediction and pick. Find out how to watch USC Oregon.
The Oregon Ducks are getting used to this, but not in a good way. They're getting used to being squarely on the middle of the bubble in mid-February. It's not where the program expects to be, but it has been reality for Oregon in 2022 and 2023. Head coach Dana Altman is scrambling for solutions which can get his team to rise higher than his 2022 team did. Last year, as you're probably aware, Oregon missed the NCAA Tournament by eating a bunch of bad losses and failing to create any real consistency.
The Ducks are in a better position this week than they were a week ago. They scored a crucial victory on the road at Arizona State this past Saturday to improve their standing while also hurting ASU. However, that result is merely a prelude, an occurrence which sets the stage for the bigger battles awaiting Oregon. The Ducks probably need to beat USC to make the NCAA Tournament, and they definitely need to beat UCLA on Saturday. It's crunch time for a team which has to step up and deliver.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the USC-Oregon College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: USC-Oregon Odds
USC Trojans: +3.5 (-102)
Oregon Ducks: -3.5 (-120)
Over: 142.5 (-110)
Under: 142.5 (-110)
How To Watch USC vs. Oregon
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 11:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. PT
*Watch USC-Oregon LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why USC Could Cover the Spread
The Oregon Ducks are so volatile, and USC has been a relatively consistent team over the past month. The Trojans have lost only one game over the past four weeks. They swept Colorado and Utah in mid-January, then split at Arizona and Arizona State. They hammered UCLA with a 52-27 second-half masterclass. They swept the Washington schools this past week. The real difference for USC — the reason this team has improved — is Vince Iwuchukwu. He was medically cleared to play on January 12 after missing the first two months of the season (and preseason camp) due to having suffered an episode of cardiac arrest at a workout in July. Iwuchukwu is playing on a minutes restriction (under 25 minutes), but when he is on the floor, USC defends better, rebounds better, and has a stronger presence on the court. This can help USC remain consistent, in contrast to Oregon's unpredictability.
Why Oregon Could Cover the Spread
The Ducks are hard to read. They are such an up-and-down group. However, they can sense how important this portion of their season truly is, and they might be getting the memo. They might be rounding into form and showing signs of improving to the point that they can stack several wins together. They held up well against Arizona State. They blew out Arizona not too long ago; Arizona beating them last week should not be seen as an indication of erosion or decline.
Let's add the point that USC has two rotation players, Joshua Morgan and Reese Dixon-Waters, whose playing statuses were unknown as of Thursday at lunchtime. Updates might emerge just before the game starts, but if these two players are not able to play, that's a big limit for USC.
Final USC-Oregon Prediction & Pick
Oregon is hard to bet on — or against — but USC's thinner bench should tip this game in Oregon's favor.
Final USC-Oregon Prediction & Pick: Oregon -3.5
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