The BYU Cougars (3-1) and USC Trojans (3-1) meet in a Battle 4 Atlantis 1st-round tilt Wednesday in Nassau, Bahamas, at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the BYU vs. USC odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
BYU’s only loss is to previously undefeated No. 19 San Diego State 82-75 Nov. 11 — SDSU (4-1) suffered its 1st loss Tuesday to No. 12 Arizona 87-70 on a neutral floor in Hawaii.
The Trojans game will be another difficult test for the Cougars, who are led by F Fousseyni Traore (12.5 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game), G Spencer Johnson (11.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG) and F Gideon George (10.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG).
USC has shown an ability to win games in multiple ways. After a surprising 74-61 opening-season loss to Florida Gulf Coast, the Trojans ran off 3 wins in a row. They routed Alabama State 96-58 Nov. 10, beat Vermont 59-57 Nov. 15 and dumped Mount St. Mary’s 83-74 Friday — all 4 games were at home.
USC is led by G Drew Peterson (15.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 8.0 assists per game), G Boogie Ellis (15.8 PPG) and F Joshua Morgan (9.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG). The Trojans are a hard team to read and it’s difficult to figure out which version will show up on a given night.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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BYU vs. USC odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 3:05 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): No lines available
- Against the spread (ATS): BYU +1.5 (-105) | USC -1.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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BYU vs. USC picks and predictions
Prediction
USC 70, BYU 63
Moneyline
No line available.
Against the spread
BET USC -1.5 (-115).
Although the Trojans have been up and down, they still score in bunches when needed. Against a BYU team which can struggle on offense, bunches will not be needed.
The Trojans have the talent to overwhelm the Cougars, which is what will happen and why USC -1.5 (-115) as my FAVORITE PLAY in this game.
Over/Under
With BYU struggling and USC being so inconsistent, UNDER 142.5 (-110) is the way to go.
On a neutral court in the Bahamas, the teams will make it feel more like a vacation than an actual game. With the offenses these 2 teams have put up so far, 142.5 is a bit elevated. If the line drops below 140, I’ll change my mind, but at 142.5 (-110) I like the UNDER.
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