Mohegan Sun's "Bubbleville" plays host to an intriguing non-conference game between UConn and USC on Thursday evening as part of the 2020 Roman Legends Classic. The neutral-site clash pits teams that are both off to a fast start. Connecticut is 2-0 after a couple of in-state wins, though the Huskies have not been seriously tested to this point. USC is 3-0, including an impressive win over the BYU Cougars in their its contest.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET. The latest UConn vs. USC odds from William Hill Sportsbook list the Huskies as one-point favorites, down half a point from the opening line. The over-under for total points expected is down to 137 after opening at 142. Before making any USC vs. UConn picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It's also off to a fast start in the 2020-21 season, going 4-1 on its top-rated picks and returning over $300. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Connecticut vs. USC in the Roman Legends Classic 2020. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for USC vs. Connecticut:
- UConn vs. USC spread: UConn -1
- UConn vs. USC over-under: 137 points
- UConn vs. USC money line: USC -105; UConn -115
- UConn: The Huskies are 10-4-1 against the spread in the last 15 non-conference games
- USC: The Trojans are 21-13 against the spread since the start of 2019-20
Why UConn can cover
UConn is a talented team in 2020-21, headlined by sophomore guard James Bouknight. Bouknight is a highly-touted NBA prospect, and he is averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while connecting on 52 percent of his field-goal attempts. As a team, UConn is shooting 59.3 percent on 2-point attempts, and the Huskies rank in the top quadrant of the country in posting an effective field goal shooting percentage of 56.1 percent. In addition, the Huskies are a great offensive rebounding team, snatching 48.6 percent of available rebounds after misses.
Defensively, UConn is blocking shots at an incredible rate of 21.4 percent, and the Huskies also create turnovers at a high level, forcing a giveaway on 24.5 percent of possessions. USC is also a potent team, but the Trojans are shooting less than 58 percent from the free-throw line, and USC is also a below-average squad in turning the ball over on 21.5 percent of possessions.
Why USC can cover
The Trojans are led by a potential lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft in 7-foot freshman Evan Mobley. Mobley is a tremendous, fluid athlete who excels on the defensive end, and he is also making a notable impact offensively. The first-year standout is averaging 16.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game this season, and Mobley is converting 68 percent of his shot attempts.
Evan Mobley's older brother, Isaiah, is also on board for the Trojans, and the 6'10 sophomore is averaging a double-double so far in 2020-21, putting up 10.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. With the Mobley brothers at the forefront, USC is a tremendous offensive rebounding team that also defends at a high level near the rim, and the Trojans will have the size and athleticism advantage against UConn.
How to make UConn vs. USC picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, with multiple players on both teams projected to score in double figures. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Southern California vs. Connecticut? And which side of the spread cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the UConn vs. Southern Cal spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $2,600 on its top-rated college basketball spread picks over the past four-plus years, and find out.
