USC gets it suspended coach back for this First Four matchup with Virginia Commonwealth Rams Wednesday as the schools battle for the final spot in the Field of 64 tournament teams.
This matchup is a neutral-site affair being played at Dayton Arena with the Sportsbook earning an 11 seed and facing Georgetown on Friday in Chicago.
The Trojans currently sports a 19-14 record overall in NCAAB action and had coach Kevin O'Neil suspended for jawing with fans in the Pac 10 tournament. The Rams are 23-11 SU, but a money-draining 10-15 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Trojans produce a 10-18-1 run favoring the UNDER on the season, while the Rams have trended slightly OVER at 14-10.
View Virginia Commonwealth vs USC Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
USC opened as 4-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark with the best point spread favoring the underdog Rams being +5 at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Trojans sit at No. 87 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Rams sit at No. 192 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Trojans will win this game 73-71.
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How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Rams rank No. 301 in NCAA Division 1 with 32 per game. That compares with USC’s No. 221 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where USC is college basketball's No. 178-ranked team at 6.2 per game, while the Rams rate No. 19 with 8.2 per game.
Defensively, Virginia Commonwealth features the nation's No. 129-rated defense on the road, allowing 69.1 points per game. USC, meanwhile, comes in at No. 276 nationally in scoring at home.
In their last action, Virginia Commonwealth was a 70-65 loser against Old Dominion. They failed to cover the 4.5–point spread as underdogs.
In their last action, USC was a 67-62 loser against Arizona. They failed to cover the 1–point spread as favorites.
Virginia Commonwealth Rams Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
After playing Old Dominion are 8-2
After a loss are 8-2
USC Trojans Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
After playing Arizona are 4-6
After a loss are 8-2
A few Rams at Trojans trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of USC's last 7 games
USC is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
