Tag: USC

USC men’s basketball projected as a 10 seed by USA TODAY

USA TODAY dropped their latest bracket for the upcoming NCAA March Madness tournament and USC basketball is at the No. 10 seed.
Right now the best thing the Trojans can do is have a positive showing in the Pac-12 Tournament.
The Trojans are sitting in fifth place in the Pac-12 right now

USA TODAY dropped their latest bracket for the upcoming NCAA March Madness tournament and USC basketball is at the No. 10 seed.
Right now the best thing the Trojans can do is have a positive showing in the Pac-12 Tournament.
The Trojans are sitting in fifth place in the Pac-12 right now

USC men’s basketball projected as a 10 seed by USA TODAY

USA TODAY dropped their latest bracket for the upcoming NCAA March Madness tournament and USC basketball is at the No. 10 seed.
Right now the best thing the Trojans can do is have a positive showing in the Pac-12 Tournament.
The Trojans are sitting in fifth place in the Pac-12 right now

USA TODAY dropped their latest bracket for the upcoming NCAA March Madness tournament and USC basketball is at the No. 10 seed.
Right now the best thing the Trojans can do is have a positive showing in the Pac-12 Tournament.
The Trojans are sitting in fifth place in the Pac-12 right now

Onyeka Okongwu ranked No. 2 on USA TODAY Sports Network NBA Draft Big Board

The USA TODAY Sports Network Rookie Wire’s most recent NBA Draft Big Board has Onyeka Okongwu as the No. 2 NBA Draft prospect Okongwu lead the team with 438 points on the year, averaging 16.2 per game Okongwu is beaten out in this prediction only by LaMelo Ball

The USA TODAY Sports Network Rookie Wire’s most recent NBA Draft Big Board has Onyeka Okongwu as the No. 2 NBA Draft prospect Okongwu lead the team with 438 points on the year, averaging 16.2 per game Okongwu is beaten out in this prediction only by LaMelo Ball

Onyeka Okongwu ranked No. 2 on USA TODAY Sports Network NBA Draft Big Board

The USA TODAY Sports Network Rookie Wire’s most recent NBA Draft Big Board has Onyeka Okongwu as the No. 2 NBA Draft prospect Okongwu lead the team with 438 points on the year, averaging 16.2 per game Okongwu is beaten out in this prediction only by LaMelo Ball

The USA TODAY Sports Network Rookie Wire’s most recent NBA Draft Big Board has Onyeka Okongwu as the No. 2 NBA Draft prospect Okongwu lead the team with 438 points on the year, averaging 16.2 per game Okongwu is beaten out in this prediction only by LaMelo Ball

USC Rejoins Notre Dame & UCLA – Good For Them, I Guess

I’ll admit as a fan that I like that Notre Dame has never gone to the FCS level in order fill out a schedule and hope they never do.  At the same time I’m well aware that it really doesn’t matter when you’re scheduling a good amount of poor programs.

Three teams in college football history have never played an FCS foe.  By this time you’re probably aware that Notre Dame is one while the two Los Angeles schools, UCLA and USC are the other two.

It appeared that USC was going to come off of that list as they had a 2021 game scheduled against UC-Davis but plans have changed and that has been called off because USC announced Thursday they’re replacing UC-Davis with San Jose State and will remain the small group to never play an FCS opponent.

I get it before you even start to get your thoughts and remarks in.  San Jose State is not good.  They’re awful, in fact.  They’ve won an average of three games each of their last four seasons and don’t look like they’ll be turning a corner anytime soon.

I however also know to try and not throw stones while living in a glass house.  Notre Dame is on this list but has played traditional powerhouses like Massachusetts, Miami of Ohio, Bowling Green, New Mexico in recent years.

I’ll admit as a fan that I like that Notre Dame has never gone to the FCS level in order fill out a schedule and hope they never do.  At the same time I’m well aware that it really doesn’t matter when you’re scheduling a good amount of poor programs.

So good for USC, I guess.

Even if it really doesn’t matter.

USC at Colorado college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s USC Trojans at Colorado Buffaloes betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks.

The USC Trojans (19-7, 8-5 Pac-12) head to Boulder, Colo., for a 9 p.m. ET tip-off against the Colorado Buffaloes (20-6, 9-4) at the CU Events Center. We analyze the USC-Colorado odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

USC at Colorado: Three things you need to know

1. Colorado steamrolled USC 78-57 in Los Angeles in the first head-to-head meeting this season. In fact, the Buffaloes have won and covered three straight against the Trojans.

2. USC enters on a two-game win streak, taking home games vs. the Washington State Cougars 70-51 Saturday, and vs the Washington Huskies 62-56 Feb. 13.

3. The Buffaloes are ranked No. 17 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll  and are on track for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM! 

USC at Colorado: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:10 p.m. ET.

Prediction

USC 68, Colorado 64

Moneyline (ML)

USC (+350) has six top-100 RSCI recruits on its roster compared to just one for Colorado (-455). It’s not like the Buffaloes are a more experienced squad than the Trojans: Colorado had four upperclassmen in its starting lineup last game, while USC had three upperclassmen, and they both have 1.7 years of average experience on their rosters. Place a small wager on USC (+350).

New to sports betting? Bet $50 on USC to profit $175 if the Trojans win outright.

Against the Spread (ATS)

This number is kind of confusing to me. Sure, Colorado -9.5 (-106) blew out USC +9.5 (-115) in their first meeting of the season, but USC has the best ATS winning percentage of any Pac-12 team. The Trojans have covered four straight games since their Feb. 4 outright and ATS loss to the Buffaloes. USC is 5-0 ATS in its last five games as an underdog and 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall. Plus, the road team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings in this series. Bet USC +9.5 (-115).

New to sports betting? Bet $115 on USC +9.5 to earn a $100 profit if the Trojans lose by 9 or fewer points or win outright.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Under has cashed in back-to-back Colorado games, and six out of seven USC games, including three straight. More importantly, the O/U record is 0-7 for the last seven USC-Colorado meetings. The Trojans have the most Unders in the Pac-12 this season, so back the UNDER 137.5 (-115) since it correlates with our USC ATS/moneyline handicaps. 

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=11866]

2020 NFL draft: Why USC’s Michael Pittman is a good fit for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are in the market for more wide receiver depth, and USC’s Michael Pittman Jr. is an ideal target in the 2020 NFL draft.

The 2020 NFL draft is creeping up, and the Seattle Seahawks will once again look to stock up on talent at a variety of different positions as they continue to stay near the top of the standings in the crowded NFC West.

Last year, the team took three wide receivers among their 11 picks in an effort to give Russell Wilson more young weapons, while replacing the retired Doug Baldwin.

Only one of those three rookies, DK Metcalf, emerged as a viable weapon however, and with Jaron Brown and David Moore set to hit free agency the Seahawks could once again turn to the draft to find a new third option behind Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

While the team probably won’t use their first round pick on a receiver, one option they could explore in the middle rounds is USC’s Michael Pittman Jr.

Pittman Jr. is fresh off an excellent senior year for the Trojans, where he racked up 101 receptions for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns, finishing first or second in the PAC-12 in every category.

Pittman Jr.’s greatest asset for the Seahawks is his size. Standing six-foot-four and a sturdy 219 pounds, MPJ is a tough, physical specimen on the outside. He has also drawn elite praise for his pass-catching ability and overall catch radius, traits that make him an ideal No. 3 receiver and potential first down machine for Wilson and company.

Pittman Jr. does have his negatives, namely a lack of acceleration and top of the line speed that doesn’t afford him a lot of separation, but paired with a quarterback like Wilson who excels and throwing the deep ball and has elite accuracy, MPJ should thrive.

Analysts have compared Pittman to former Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe and former Eagles receiver Riley Cooper, and while he will probably make his initial mark as a possession receiver and key contributor on special teams – something coach Pete Carroll always looks for in his draft picks – there’s little reason to believe he can’t reach those lofty marks in the right offense.

Pittman Jr. will be at the NFL combine, and his speed will be the biggest factor in determining how he is valued by teams.

If he is available in the middle rounds, the Seahawks would be getting an offensive piece that is an excellent fit with their current personnel.

[lawrence-related id=56194]

Notre Dame Football: Where Did the Experts Rank 2020 Irish Recruiting Class?

When people say recruiting doesn’t matter, they’re lying.  It does.  Maybe it doesn’t always play out on the field but you aren’t a regular powerhouse if your team’s name isn’t at or towards the top of these lists with regularity.

The second and final national signing day has come and gone with no movement for Notre Dame, who had all of their eventual signees known back in December during the early signing period.

Now the grades and rankings start to come out from those who are much smarter than myself on such things.  Where did the three big outlets rank Notre Dame’s class and how many elite prospects were they able to bring in?

247 Sports:  17th
Of Notre Dame’s 19 signees, 247 ranks just one as a five-star talent (TE, Michael Mayer) and eight players as four-stars and eight more as three-stars.

ESPN:  14th
ESPN doesn’t give away their information or thoughts on recruiting for free but they do reveal their team rankings without cost.  This is however the highest ranking any of the three services gave Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish.

Rivals:  21st
Rivals, like 247, has Mayer ranked as a five-star recruit.  However, Rivals lists nine players as four-star talents but just six as three-star caliber.  This is the lowest of any of the three major outlets ranked the Fighting Irish.

Listen, you see the rankings and they leave you far from thrilled.  I get that.

Clemson is ranked atop all of these and your usual super powers of Alabama, LSU, Georgia and the other regulars are right there as well.

The loss of Landen Bartleson hurts as depth at corner takes an obvious hit.  I think it’s important to remember how high folks were on Chris Tyree just a few short weeks ago in these same rankings, yet his overall ranking went down the closer to national signing day we got.

When people say recruiting doesn’t matter, they’re lying.  It does.  Maybe it doesn’t always play out on the field but you aren’t a regular powerhouse if your team’s name isn’t at or towards the top of these lists with regularity.

That doesn’t mean you can’t still be bad or disappointing if your name does appear high.  See Notre Dame under Charlie Weis or what our friends over at USC are going through right now.

It’s a class with a lot of potential, just few certain future stars.  Here’s to hoping we look back on this class four years from now and are discussing how much it shocked the college football world for all the right reasons.

Colorado at USC college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Colorado Buffaloes at USC Trojans sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks and tips.

The Colorado Buffaloes (16-5, 6-3 Pac-12) and USC Trojans (17-4, 7-2 Pac-12) square off at Galen Center at 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday. We analyze the Colorado-USC odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Colorado at USC: Three things you need to know

1. USC picked up a win last time out, while Colorado is coming off a Thursday loss, putting the Buffaloes one game back of the Trojans for second place in the Pac-12.

2. Colorado owns a 9-4 straight up record in 13 meetings since moving to the Pac-12 conference before the 2011-12 season. The Buffaloes swept the season series last year, winning by four points in L.A. and by 11 at home.

3. The road team has connected in five of the past seven meetings in this series.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Colorado at USC: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 12 p.m. ET.

Prediction

USC 68, Colorado 63

Moneyline (ML)

USC (-115) is the play at home, but we can get even better value on the spread.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Trojans to win outright returns a profit of $8.70.

Against the Spread (ATS)

USC (-1.5, +100) is playing much better than Colorado (+1.5, -121) at the moment, and the Trojans will be looking to avenge the season sweep from a year ago. The big man for USC, Onyeka Okongwu, is averaging 17.0 points per game, 9.1 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots per game while leading the team with a 61.5 field-goal percentage, too. He’ll be the difference in this one.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 135.5 (-110) is worth a small-unit play, as that’s been the trend for both sides lately. The Under is 7-3 in USC’s past 10 overall, and 20-7 in its last 27 home games. The Under is also a perfect 6-0 in the Trojans’ past six games against winning teams. For Colorado, the Over is 8-3 in the past 11 games overall, but the Under is 5-0 in their past five games against teams with a winning overall mark. The Under is also a whopping 25-9 in the past 34 on the road for CU.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=11866]

USC Hires Former Longhorn Assistant Craig Naivar

USC has hired former UT assistant Craig Naivar as their safeties coach. With UT, Naivar was the co-DC, safeties coach, and ST coordinator.

USC has hired former Texas assistant coach Craig Naivar as their safeties coach. With the Longhorns, Naivar spent time as the co-defensive coordinator, safeties coach, and special teams coordinator. He had been on Tom Herman’s staff since he was hired as head coach in 2017.

After firing Todd Orlando after the season, Naivar took over as the defensive coordinator for the bowl game against Utah. It was the best performance of the season for the Texas defense, only allowing 11 points to a high powered Utes offense.

Naivar follows Todd Orlando to Southern Cal as he was hired as their defensive coordinator earlier this month. It will be the pair’s sixth consecutive season working together, going all the way back to their time at Houston.

The Trojan defense struggled last season, giving up nearly 30 points a game. The USC pass defense was the main issue as teams were able to throw for 246 yards per game against them. Orlando and Naivar will have a big task on their hand, trying to turn around a struggling defense in 2020.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]