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Although this is billed as a neutral-site game, there will certainly be a very partisan crowd when the USC Trojans take on the Oklahoma Sooners in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic on Friday. The game is being played in the City of Angels and that means there will be a lot of fans in cardinal and gold cheering on the Trojans. That will likely lead to USC being the favorite, but there are plenty of reasons to think Oklahoma can win this game.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, December 8, 2017, at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The game will be televised live on ESPN2. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Friday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oklahoma is 6-1 coming into this game and has one of the highest-scoring offenses in the country. The Sooners are averaging 94.4 points per game and have not been held under 82 points so far this year. That has meant a lot of easy money for bettors who like to bet overs, and the over is 6-1 in Sooners games this year. Oklahoma is just 2-5 ATS though as it has not been able to cover large spreads against mediocre opponents.
USC ended last season looking like one of the best teams in the country after falling to Baylor in the Sweet 16. Much was expected of the Trojans heading into this year, but they have not been impressive to date. The Trojans sit at 4-2 and have been blasted by Texas A&M and SMU in their last two outings. The offense just hasn’t been where it’s needed to be and the under is 5-1 in their games as a result.
Player to Watch
Trae Young has been the nation’s leading scorer through the early part of the season. He is averaging three more points than any other player in the country and playing in this offense is a big reason why.
Young is allowed to run the court and play at breakneck speed in Lon Kruger’s system and has adapted to it very well. He is averaging 28.7 PPG on 47.6 percent from the field and isn’t hogging the ball either. He is third in the nation in assists with 8.7 dimes per game.
Kruger expects Young to lead his offense whenever he is on the court and he has the ball in his hands much of the time. That has worked very well so far and Kruger has not overstretched Young with too much playing time.
Matchup to Watch
USC has some size, so it will be interesting to see how these teams match up with each other. The Trojans have two experienced near seven-footers in Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright that have been solid on the glass this season. Both are averaging 7.7 rebounds per game and that has helped USC average 40 rebounds per game.
The Sooners pull down more rebounds, but that’s because of their run and gun strategy. Oklahoma doesn’t have a starter taller than 6’9 and instead relies on speed and athleticism. They don’t want to play a slow half-court post game and will lose if they play that style of offense. That’s what USC will try to do on its end, so Oklahoma has to do a good job on the defensive glass.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
USC’s starters have not been great from the floor this season. None of the five have shot better than 48 percent from the field and that really hurt the Trojans against SMU and Texas A&M these last two weeks. The bench hasn’t been too much better, but Nick Rakocevic has at least been decent although he hasn’t taken many shots.
Shooting is going to do the Trojans in yet again as Young has a great game in a Sooners upset.
College Basketball Odds: Oklahoma 87, USC 80
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