After an unforgettable first weekend, the NCAA Tournament resumes this Saturday and Sunday with Sweet 16 games across all four regions of the bracket. The South and Midwest’s regional semifinals will take place on Saturday, while the West and East Regions will take the court on Sunday.
The final game of the Sweet 16 is a West Region matchup of two teams who know each other very well. Although it is surprising to see both the 7-seed Oregon Ducks and 6-seed USC Trojans in the round of 16, in a way, it is fitting. Why not have the top two teams in the Pac-12 Conference this season battle for the right to advance to the West Region Final? The two teams met only once in conference play this season due to cancellations, so they were due for a second matchup anyways.
This betting preview has all kinds of information to get you set for the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup between USC and Oregon. Read on for the betting odds and trends, analysis of both teams, and a game prediction.
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Oregon vs. USC Sweet 16 Game Info
Oregon Ducks (21-6, 14-4 Pac-12) vs. USC Trojans (24-7, 15-5 Pac-12)
- Date: Sunday, Mar. 28, 2021
- Start Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, IN
- Coverage: TBS
- Last Meeting: February 22, 2021 - USC defeated Oregon 72-58 in Los Angeles.
Oregon vs. USC Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
- Moneyline: ORE:(+115) | USC: (-140)
- Point Spread: ORE: +2 (-110) | USC: -2 (-110)
- Total: 139 - Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Overview
Oregon certainly faced its fair share of obstacles on the way to a Pac-12 regular-season title this season. The Ducks were forced to endure a lengthy program shutdown due to virus issues, but they came back and still looked like one of the top teams in, dare I call it the underrated Pac-12 Conference. With the Conference of Champions comprising 25% of the Sweet 16 field, that seems like a fair assessment. Oregon caught a break on their way to this point as VCU was forced to forfeit their First Round 7-10 matchup. The Ducks still had to earn their way into the West Region semifinals with a blowout win over 2-seed Iowa. The Hawkeyes simply had no answer for Oregon in the matchup.
CHRIS DUARTE DROPS THE HAMMER ?"? https://t.co/POkHXFYysJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2021
Combine a savvy head coach like Dana Altman with a talent-laden roster, and you have the makings of an NCAA Tournament darkhorse. The Ducks' talent was on full display in their romp over Iowa. Senior guard Chris Duarte led the way as he has all year with 23 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds. He was joined in double figures scoring by L.J. Figueroa (21 points, 7 rebounds), Will Richardson (19 points, 7 assists, 6 boards), and Eugene Omoruyi (17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists). As the box scores for each player suggest, Oregon plays a team-first brand of basketball and gets after it on the glass as well.
Unlike Oregon, USC had to come up with the standard two victories to advance to the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend. Not only did the Trojans beat 11-seed Drake and 3-seed Kansas, but they ran both opponents out of the gym. After topping the Bulldogs by 16 points, USC pummeled Kansas 85-51 in a Second Round, upset that few saw coming. Andy Enfield's squad finished second only to Oregon in the Pac-12 regular-season standings is littered with talent all over the floor. In several of their conference losses, the Trojan either forgot to show up altogether or simply failed to hit their shots.
Evan Mobley is so much fun to watch. So unselfish, so smooth, so skilled. Everything comes so easy to him. Has a chance to be a terrific player at the next level.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 23, 2021
USC is led by highly-rated NBA Draft prospect and Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year Evan Mobley. Mobley also took home Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Freshmen of the Year honors. He is now a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year on top of the league awards. Mobley was excellent against Kansas with a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double. That said, he was far from the only Trojan to get in on the act. Brother Isaiah Mobley supplied a team-high 17 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Guards Isaiah White and Tahj Eaddy chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Betting Trends
- Oregon 2020-21 Betting Trends: 15-12 ATS; 18-9 to the Over
- USC 2020 Betting Trends: 18-13 ATS; 16-14-1 to the Over
- Oregon is 10-1 ATS in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog.
- Oregon is 6-2 ATS in their last eight games.
- USC is 6-0 ATS in their last six NCAA Tournament games.
- USC is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games as a favorite.
- The over is 7-0 in Oregon's last seven games following an outright win.
- Eight of Oregon's last nine games have gone over the total.
- The over is 6-1-1 in USC's last eight games following an outright win.
- The under is 5-1-1 in USC's last seven games as a favorite.
Bottom Line
As someone who counts the Pac-12 among the leagues I watch and handicap very closely throughout the entire season, I'm admittedly pretty stoked about the conference's success thus far in the NCAA Tournament. Probably not as excited as Bill Walton, but hey, you get the point. This Sweet 16 rematch between Oregon and USC promises to be a good one. With that said, I've been a bit surprised at the verdict that the betting court of public opinion seems to have rendered in advance of the game.
USC deserves full marks for the throttling that they gave Kansas in the Second Round. However, under Bill Self, the Jayhawks have consistently underwhelmed in March Madness, going back as far as I can remember. The other thing that analysts seem to be pointing to is the Trojans' 14-point win over Oregon in the regular-season. While USC certainly dominated that matchup, rushing to say they'll do so again on Sunday is a big mistake.
The bottom line for me when it comes to this all-Pac-12 Sweet 16 showdown is that Oregon is the healthiest they've been all season. After being ravaged by virus issues, the Ducks are flying the flag at full staff at the perfect time. Dana Altman is about the best coach to have on your bench when it comes to the NCAA Tournament’s later rounds. I fully expect Altman to have a better gameplan for containing the Mobley brothers in the post in this second meeting.
Furthermore, Chris Duarte can carry the added chip of not being named conference player of the year with him into this game, along with his experience. Evan Mobley may be the future NBA star, but Duarte is the college senior in his final NCAA Tournament. The Ducks are as live an underdog as you'll find.
Pick: Oregon ML and +2 (+115 and -110 respectively at BetMGM)
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Henry John is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Henry, check out his archive and follow him @HankTimeSports.