Oregon vs USC Odds, Picks and Predictions: Ducks Show Resilience on Road

The Oregon Ducks look to get back in the win column as they head to the Galen Center to face the reeling USC Trojans tonight.

The Trojans made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons under Andy Enfield but have fallen to last place in the conference in what’s been a disappointing campaign. The Ducks could also use a win after dropping three of their last four games. A win would give them at least a share of the top spot in the Pac-12 standings.

Checking college basketball odds, the Ducks are lined at -1.5 while the total resides at 148.5. 

Check out my college basketball picks and predictions for Oregon vs. USC on Thursday, February 1 to see why I think one team is undervalued in this spot. 

Oregon vs USC best odds

Oregon vs USC picks and predictions

Dana Altman’s Oregon Ducks have been a strange team this season. First, they started hot and nabbed a lead in the Pac-12 standings at 5-0 despite playing severely shorthanded due to various injuries. Now that the team has returned some key players to the lineup, however, it has dropped three of the last four and will need a victory Thursday night to avoid a tailspin. 

Perhaps it’s taking an adjustment period to fully integrate star big man N’Faly Dante (14.8 points, 8.2 rebounds per game) and center Nate Bittle (10 points, 4.4 rebounds per game) back into the starting lineup. Those are two talented players and the Ducks will be better off for having them back in the fold. 

Just when the Ducks were returning to health they did suffer another setback as guard Keeshawn Barthelemy had a gruesome lower leg injury on Saturday that will likely keep him out for the season. He was a key bench piece and a source of instant offense when things tended to stagnate, so the onus will now be on struggling freshman point guard Jackson Shelstad to regain his early-season form. 

The Ducks dropped both sets of the Mountain trip, returned home to dunk on Arizona State by 19 points, and most recently fell 87-78 at home to Arizona. They’ll look to get the wheels back on the road during a two-game LA trip that begins Thursday night against the USC Trojans. 

Andy Enfield’s squad has just two wins in nine conference games and is in the cellar of the Pac-12 standings. The Trojans have now dropped five straight games, four of which have come by double digits. 

Star freshman point guard Isaiah Collier (15.4 points, 4.1 assists per game) remains out with a hand injury, leaving Boogie Ellis (18.1 ppg) as the sole reliable source of offense. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of hope for a team that’s dropped 10 of its last 13 games. 

I see this as a decent buy-low spot for the Ducks. Sure, they’ve dropped three of their last four games, but all four of the teams they played in that span are better than the Trojans. They were an underdog of between 4.0 and 6.5 points in all three losses, so it’s not like any individual performance was a shocker or a reason to hit the panic button. 

USC, on the other hand, hit its panic button a while ago but to no avail. It dropped the first matchup 82-74 in Eugene and that was with Collier while the Ducks were missing Dante and Bittle. Things have since fallen apart for the Trojans while the Ducks have returned to health and are in the conversation for the Pac-12 title race with a win on Thursday night. 

The Ducks are more talented, better coached, and seemingly have more motivation as they’re both on the bubble and in the thick of the conference race. 

Give me Oregon as the slight road favorite to handle business against a reeling USC team that has lost four straight games by double digits. 

My best bet: Oregon -2.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

Oregon vs USC same-game parlay

Oregon -2

Jackson Shelstad Over 1.5 made threes

Jackson Shelstad Over 9.5 points

N'Faly Dante 12+ points

+475 at DraftKings

I’m buying low on freshman point guard Jackson Shelstad by taking him at plus money to go over his props of 1.5 made 3-pointers and 9.5 points scored. 

He’s been in a rut lately, failing to score double-digits in each of his last four games. Still, some context is required. As mentioned earlier, USC will be Oregon's easiest opponent during this recent stretch. Shelstad is averaging 12.4 ppg on the year and a return to form against easier competition would be entirely normal for the talented youngster who dropped 21 on the Trojans in the first matchup.

He should be trusted with a heavy workload, especially now that Barthelemy’s production is absent from the equation. Open looks from behind the arc could come in bunches against a USC defense that ranks 286th in opponent 3-point attempt rate against the average opponent and 274th in 3-point field goal percentage against the average opponent (Haslamtrics). 

The last prop will feature Dante to score at least 12 points on the alternative points line. He’s cruised over this number with 23, 16, and 19 points respectively in his last three outings and appears ready to feast for the rest of the season now that he is back to full health. 

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Oregon vs USC spread and Over/Under analysis

Oregon was -1.5, but that spread has been bet up to -2.5 at most books on Thursday morning, so be sure to shop around and track future fluctuations using our college basketball line movement tool. 

The total is set at 148.5 across the board after dropping a few points from 150.5 at open. Both teams have played to the Over this season as Oregon is 12-8 O/U while USC is 13-7 O/U. 

The Ducks have had a penchant for high-scoring games lately, cashing five Overs across their last six games. 

Looking back at the recent history between these two programs, Oregon is 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings while the total has gone 3-1-1 O/U across the last five. 

That being said, it’s difficult for me to trust USC’s offense at this current stage. The season-long numbers aren’t terrible, but the math has changed now with Collier out of the lineup. Ellis is still there, but he’s played just one game since returning from an injury of his own and didn’t inspire a ton of confidence after scoring eight points on 10 attempts against UCLA. 

That’s reflected in USC’s recent results against the total as it's gone 1-4 O/U across its last five games despite cashing a lot of Over tickets earlier in the season. 

Oregon vs USC betting trend to know

Oregon is 17-7 straight up against USC under Dana Altman. Find more college basketball betting trends for Oregon vs. USC.

Oregon vs USC game info

Oregon vs USC key injuries

Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Pages related to this topic