Posted on
1/24/2008 5:40:24 PM
NCAA Basketball Betting – USC at Oregon State
By Charles Jay
The USC Trojans (11-6 SU, 9-5-1 ATS) are coming off their biggest win this season, and they will try to sustain that momentum when they go to Corvallis to take on the struggling Oregon State Beavers (6-12 SU, 7-10 ATS) in a Pac-10 matchup that is slated to start at 8:30 PM ET at the Gill Coliseum.
In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, the Trojans are listed as an 8.5-point road favorite.
Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends and stats relative to this matchup:
* USC has covered five of its last six road games
* USC has played four of its last six gams OVER the total
* USC has played 11 of its last 15 road games OVER the total
* OSU has lost its last eight games SU
* OSU is 1-4 ATS in its last five games
* OSU has played three of its last four games UNDER the total
* OSU has lost five of its last six home games SU
* OSU is 0-5 ATS in its last five home games
* OSU has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total
* USC has won the last five meetings SU
* USC has covered four of the last five meetings
* Three of the last four meetings have gone OVER the total
* USC has had the shooting edge in each of the last four meetings
* USC shoots 47.7% from the field
* USC shoots 69.6% from the free throw line
* USC commits 15.6 turnovers per game
* OSU is shooting 39% from the field
* OSU is shooting 29% from beyond the arc
* OSU is allowing 64.2 points per game
There was a big shakeup in the OSU camp this past week as coach Jay John was fired. The Beavers have lost 21 of their last 24 conference games. Under John they were 26-28 in the Pac-10. Kevin Mouton takes over. Sure, he can't really help this team in the most important department, at least in such a short interval. Oregon State can't make a bucket (39% FG's, 29% from beyond the arc). But in a lot of ways this is a positive thing for the program. Rumors about John's imminent firing had been dogging this team for weeks, and now there is an opportunity to move on - in more ways than one. You see, forward C.J. Giles, a transfer from Kansas who was expected to be a difference-maker but instead turned out to be a negative influence with his attitude and constant foul trouble, was kicked off the team in Mouton's first official move.
Like Zach Randolph's departure from the Portland Trail Blazers, this may wind up being case of addition by subtraction. Since he took over from the fired John, Mouton has put his squad through practices that were described by center Calvin Hampton as "ultra intense. It was a whole new level for a lot of guys."
These practices may not result in a victory, but they will likely prompt a maximum effort this first time out, as if a revenge motive from the 91-46 shellacking OSU took from USC on this floor last season wasn't incentive enough. And the Trojans, though brimming with confidence off the win over UCLA, may find itself "hung over" from that and in a "sandwich" of sorts, because a game with Oregon is up next.
Oregon State's situation is not necessarily one of confusion, but rather of excitement. While USC may be distracted, the Beavers will give this one their full attention. So we'll grab the points with Oregon State, the 8.5-point underdog in the BetUS NCAAB betting.
BetUS NCAAB betting odds: USC -8.5
JAY'S PLAY: OREGON STATE
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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)