The sixth-seeded Southern California Trojans will try to overpower the No. 11-seeded Drake Bulldogs when the teams face off in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs (26-4) edged Wichita State 53-52 in the First Four on Thursday night for their first NCAA win since 1971, and now they advance in the updated March Madness bracket to face the Trojans and likely NBA lottery pick Evan Mobley. The freshman and older brother Isaiah Mobley lead a powerful frontcourt that limits opponents to just over 64 points per game, but Drake averages nearly 78, so something will need to give.
Tip-off from Bankers Life Fieldhouse is set for 4:30 p.m. ET. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Trojans as seven-point favorites in its latest USC vs. Drake odds, and the over-under for total points scored is 135. Before finalizing any Drake vs. USC picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned almost $500 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Southern Cal vs. Drake in the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Drake vs. Southern Cal:
- USC vs. Drake spread: Trojans -7
- USC vs. Drake over-under: 135 points
- USC vs. Drake money line: Bulldogs +260, Trojans -330
- USC: The Trojans have covered the spread in four straight NCAA Tournament games
- DRAKE: The Bulldogs are 7-1 against the spread in non-conference games this season
Why USC can cover
USC is 6-2 against the spread this season after four or more days off, and the Trojans last played March 12, a 72-70 loss to Colorado in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals. Evan Mobley scored 26 in that game, and he averaged team-highs in points (16.8) and rebounds (8.6) and earned conference Player of the Year honors. The 7-footer also was named Defensive Player of the Year after averaging three blocked shots per game. The Trojans tied for sixth in the nation in blocks with 5.3 per contest.
The Trojans, who went 16-13 ATS overall this season, led the Pac-12 in rebounding at 39.5 per game, with Isaiah Mobley adding 7.4 to go with his nine points. They also allowed opponents to shoot 39.4 percent from the field, the best mark in the conference, and outscore opponents by 10. Tahj Eaddy (13.7 points) and Drew Peterson (9.9 points, five rebounds) also play key roles. Eaddy is the primary outside threat, making more than 39 percent on 148 3-point attempts.
Why Drake can cover
Drake is 20-7-1 against the spread this season, and the Bulldogs showed Thursday that they will never give up. They trailed by 12 with just over 11 minutes to play but finished the game on a 22-11 run to advance. The Bulldogs have overcome adversity all year, getting sidetracked by COVID-related pause after starting 18-0, and sophomore guard Joseph Yesufu had to step up in the absence of top scorer ShanQuan Hemphill, who returned from injury Thursday night.
Yesufu led Drake with 21 points, and he and Tremell Murphy scored 16 of its final 22 points. Hemphill had three points and four rebounds after missing more than a month following foot surgery. He averaged more than 14 points and 6.3 rebounds in 20 games and chipped in 1.3 steals as the team gets 7.1 per game. The Bulldogs have six players averaging at least 7.5 points, and forward Darnell Brodie gets a team-high 7.2 rebounds and posted 10 on Thursday.
How to make Drake vs. USC picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams combine for 141 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in over 70 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins USC vs. Drake? And which side of the spread hits over 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
