USC vs Auburn Odds
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 151.5 -110o / -110u | +315 |
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 151.5 -110o / -110u | -410 |
We head down south to the Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama as the Auburn Tigers host the USC Trojans. All eyes will be fixated on this game as Lebron James' son, Bronny, will look to put in some more minutes after recovering from a recent health scare at practice.
Besides that, a lot of the attention will be focused on the Tigers. Auburn has been extremely impressive over the past couple of weeks, so the Trojans have a tall task at hand.
There's some discrepancy in both of these offenses, so let's dive into the latest college basketball betting odds as well as my USC vs. Auburn prediction and pick for Sunday, December 17.
USC Trojans
They may be big underdogs, but the Trojans have proven that they're a balanced basketball team. This group is nearly identical in both offensive and defensive efficiency, ranking in the top 55 in both categories.
This is all thanks in due part to the backcourt tandem of Isaiah Collier and Boogie Ellis. Collier has been especially lethal scoring inside of the arc, as he's shooting 55% from that area of the floor.
In this game, the Trojans will have to crack a tough Auburn defense to have success. One area they'll look to exploit is earning points from the charity stripe.
Although they are shooting 71% as a team, they do an excellent job of getting to the line. The Tigers are 304th in the nation in free throw attempts surrendered per game, which means they are fouling at a very high frequency.
If the Trojans want to cash in on this, they will need to hit most of their chances from the charity stripe. They also need to stop shooting themselves in the foot on the offensive end, as they are 250th in turnovers.
I think USC can hold its own on the defensive end, especially since it'll have the height advantage (4th in average height). This isn't an easy environment to play in, so USC will need to get off to a strong start to settle down a rowdy crowd.
Auburn Tigers
I'm not sure if the Tigers are national championship contenders, but they've been playing like it lately. Last weekend, they completely blew the Indiana Hoosiers out of the gym with an impressive 104-point performance.
The Tigers are top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, which correlates to why they're such a balanced team. I already spoke about the Trojans being balanced, but the Tigers are on another level.
This isn't a great 3-point shooting team, but this is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to moving the basketball on the offensive end as Auburn is third in the country in assists per made field goal.
Just like the Trojans, the Tigers go to the free throw line an ample amount. They are also shooting 71%, so it seems like free-throw shooting could be a big difference in this game.
Despite being outsized, I expect Johni Broome and Jaylin Broome to take care of business on both ends of the floor. They should have a field day on the glass against the Trojans.
Auburn's 3-point defense has also been sensational as opponents are shooting just 29% from 3. If the Trojans get cold from 3, this could turn ugly real quick.
USC vs. Auburn
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Tigers should be able to win this game thanks to their strong rebounding advantage and ability to protect the basketball on offense. However, this seems like a bit of an overreaction from the market.
I'm going to take the Trojans, though it's a bit scary considering how well the Tigers have been playing. I don't think USC will rebound enough to compete with Auburn, but I do think the Trojans will get plenty of chances from the free-throw line.
Free throws end up being the difference in a lot of these contests, so if the Tigers continue to foul at a high rate, the Trojans should get easy opportunities for some extra points.
This number will probably continue to steam overnight, so I'd wait as long as possible before backing the Trojans on Sunday afternoon.
