The USC Trojans have surprised many and sneaked into the national rankings with a flawless non-conference run. However, the competition gets much stiffer in Pac-12 play, beginning immediately with a road game against the Oregon Ducks.
Oregon had some hiccups early with two losses in its first four games but is playing better of late. Even though the Trojans have yet to lose this season, they did not face an overly tough non-conference slate and will be the underdogs in this matchup despite the gaudy record.
UCLA and Arizona are two other main contenders in the Pac-12, and Oregon and USC each want to avoid an early conference loss in this important showdown.
At 10 p.m. ET, tune into Fox Sports 1 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Friday, December 30, 2016, at the Matthew Knight Arena
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Oregon is 11-2 straight up and 4-8 against the spread. The Ducks have only covered in two of seven home contests this season and hope to improve on that here, although they would also take a close win. Oregon is 4-7 against the spread as the favorite this year.
USC is 13-0 straight up and 7-5 against the spread. The Trojans have only been the underdog once this season but did cover in that attempt. USC is 2-0 against the spread on the road this season.
Key Stat
13-0. That’s USC’s record coming into this week. USC survived a scary one against Wyoming on December 23rd, winning 94-92 in overtime to remain perfect. The team also has wins over Texas A&M and BYU so far this season.
USC has yet to play a ranked opponent on the season and this will be the toughest test. Even so, winning 13 games in a row is a tough task and the Trojans have certainly surpassed expectations thus far. If they can knock off Oregon on the road, that would be a big upset and really prove that they are a team to deal with in conference play.
Revenge Angle
The battle between the two ranked opponents is already intriguing considering the talent on these two squads this season, but there’s another element to this game for USC. The Trojans have not beaten the Ducks since 2009.
Since then, Oregon has gone 12-0 against its Pac 12 foe. With its perfect record, USC will no doubt be hoping this is year to break the streak.
The Ducks are usually very good at home and will have the advantage. It’s hard to know how much the mental aspect plays a role, as USC obviously won’t be feeling too confident about its ability to win based on the previous meetings.
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Oregon hasn’t lived up to expectations while USC has exceeded them. However, the Ducks have more talent and the home court advantage.
They had a great season a year ago and are aiming to get back to that point. Oregon is led by Chris Boucher, who is averaging 14.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey are also key players for the team.
USC has five players averaging in double figures, led by Elijah Stewart at 15.5 points per game. The Trojans are outscoring their opponents by 13 points per game this season but would love to win by only a point or two in this one.
While the Trojans have played very well thus far, their strong start will end here. Oregon has the home court and the superior talent and will be able to win this one to start the Pac-12 slate strong.
College Basketball Odds: Oregon 75, USC 69
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