The Pac-12 college basketball season opens tonight, as USC travels north to play at Oregon. It has not been a great start for either team, as each has lost multiple games as the betting favorite.
Current USC vs. Oregon odds have the Ducks favored by , with the Trojans point spread bettors catching and on the moneyline. The OVER/UNDER total is .
Read on for props and predictions on tonight's college hoops contest.
This is a chance for each squad to turn their seasons around with the start of conference play. Winning the Pac-12 would make any losses in non-conference play an afterthought.
Oregon at 8-3 has some fair excuses, as the Ducks have dealt with a ton of injuries. USC has also had some injury issues, but outside of Bronny James, the Trojans have not had any key player miss more than two games.
The Ducks are 8-3 overall and 7-4 against the spread but have covered five of their last six. USC is only 6-5 and is worse against the spread at 5-6 and has covered only once in their last five games.
Tonight's Pac-12 opener hosted by Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena tips off at 9 p.m. ET with TV coverage on ESPN2. Here are the live odds, team betting news, FanDuel player props, and a betting prediction for USC's trip to Oregon.
Live odds for USC vs. Oregon: Ducks lay points in Pac-12 college
Check out the spread, moneyline, and total points live odds for USC vs. Oregon in a Pac-12 rivalry matchup at the best online sportsbooks.
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USC Trojans betting news
USC had a lot of hype in the preseason, and it only grew after they blew out Kansas State (82-69) in its season opener. The Trojans' loss to UC Irvine in their third game of the season as an 11.5-point favorite was not good, but bouncing back and winning their next two to get to 4-1 turned into a solid start for the Trojans. It has not been pretty since then, as they lost four of their next six games.
Losses to good programs like Oklahoma (70-72), Gonzaga (76-89) and Auburn (75-91) were tolerable. Losing by double digits in two of them and then a loss to Long Beach State (79-84) showed the Trojans may not be the team they were projected to be. There are a few factors that play into their tough start. Bronny James has played in only three games, and his role should continue to grow.
Overall, the team is leaning on several young players that should continue to improve. If the NCAA Tournament started today, USC would likely not qualify, but if they can stack some wins and get back into tournament contention, they could be a dangerous team. They have as much guard talent as any team in the country, but those guards must be more consistent for USC to reach their ceiling.
As for their game against Oregon, the Ducks have a lot of key players out with injuries, and the Trojans are catching them at the right time. While this is not a must-win game, losing to a very short-handed Oregon team could show that USC may not be good enough to get into the postseason.
Oregon Ducks betting news
Another season and another year with Oregon dealing with numerous injury problems. For the past several seasons, the Ducks have had the talent to be a national championship contender but have not been healthy enough to reach their ceiling as a squad. This season may be another with the same problem.
Jesse Zarzuela played five games this season and was averaging 10 PPG, Nate Bittle played three games this season and was averaging 13.1 PPG, and Nate Meithof has not played this season, but all three are likely out for the year. Mookie Cook has not played and will be available sometime in January. N'Faly Dante has only played one game this season and will not play until late January, and Keeshawn Barthelemy is probable against Oregon after missing two games.
The goal is simple for the Ducks, try to stay above water and find a way to grind out a couple of wins while they wait for some players to return. While multiple key players are likely out for the year, getting back Dante and Cook will raise this team's ceiling.
Dante played one game this season, with 16 points and 21 rebounds. While Cook was a top-30 recruit and expected to be an instant impact player. Oregon has managed an 8-3 record and is firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture, and if they can get healthy, they will be a tough out for anyone.
USC vs. Oregon props at FanDuel for Pac-12 rivalry game
FanDuel Sportsbook has college basketball bettors covered by being one of the first to make player props available for almost every college hoops game. Here are some of the best value player props for USC's conference game at Oregon.
Isaiah Collier prop bets
- 14.5 points OVER (-102) / UNDER (-125)
- 4.5 assists OVER (+110) / UNDER (-144)
- Threes: 1+ (-210) / 2+ (+194) / 3+ (+490)
Jackson Shelstad prop bets
- 14.5 points OVER (-102) / UNDER (-125)
- Threes: 2+ (-138) / 3+ (+200)
Kario Oquendo prop bets
- 13.5 points OVER (-106) / UNDER (-120)
- Threes: 1+ (-178) / 2+ (+240) / 3+ (+550)
Kobe Johnson prop bets
- 11.5 points OVER (-106) / UNDER (-120)
- 6.5 rebounds OVER (+106) / UNDER (-138)
- Threes: 1+ (-250) / 2+ (+162) / 3+ (+410)
Jermaine Couisnard prop bets
- 14.5 points OVER (-102) / UNDER (-125)
- 5.5 rebounds OVER (+116) / UNDER (-152)
- Threes: 2+ (-140) / 3+ (+200)
USC vs. Oregon prediction: Trojans take advantage of beat-up Ducks
USC's season is on the verge of failure, and the Trojans should play with desperation against Oregon. While the freshmen are still growing up, expect senior Boogie Ellis to set a strong tone early and lead USC to a crucial win in the Pac-12 opener.
Pick: USC moneyline
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