USC vs. Baylor Prediction
Will USC keep its Cinderella hopes alive by knocking off Baylor tonight at 7:45PM ET in the second round of the NCAA tournament?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Bears are 6-point favorites versus the Trojans in tonight’s matchup, while the over/under has been bet down a full point to 142 after opening at 143.
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USC has been one of the better surprises of the tournament thus far. After trailing by 15 points in a play-in matchup versus Providence on Wednesday night, the Trojans rallied for a 66-65 victory as a 2-point favorite. USC then upset SMU, a chic pick to advance to the Sweet 16, 66-65 as a 7-point underdog on Friday afternoon. Along with Rhode Island, who is also an 11 seed, USC is the only other double-digit seed left in the tournament.
Despite being knocked out of the tournament in the first-round last year, on top of losing its first game of the Big 12 tournament, Baylor cruised past New Mexico State 91-73 as an 11.5-point favorite on Friday. The Bears have now covered in three of their last four games, with their only non-cover coming against Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.
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OUR PREDICTION: Don’t be surprised if USC’s surprising run continues after today, but either way the Trojans should keep things tight tonight. They’re 5-1 against the spread in their last six games overall, are 5-1 against the number in their last six games versus Big 12 opponents, and are 4-1 against the number in their last five NCAA tournament games when they’re an underdog of between 0.5 and 6.5 points. On the other side, the Bears have not been profitable off a win, covering just four times in their last 13 opportunities. They’re also just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games coming off an ATS victory as well.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: USC TROJANS +6.5