The 2021-22 college basketball season brings plenty of interesting matchups Thursday, February 24, including the Pac-12 Conference battle from Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Oregon, so here’s the best USC vs. Oregon State betting pick.

The Trojans take on the Beavers for the second time this term. USC beat Oregon State 81-71 on January 13, failing to cover a huge 14.5-point spread on the home court. The Trojans are 11-point road favorites this time around, while the totals sit at 139.0 points on Bet US Sportsbook. 

USC won six of its last seven games          

The USC Trojans (23-4; 13-14 ATS) extended their winning streak to four games last Sunday. They barely outlasted Washington State 62-60 as 7-point home favorites. It was their sixth victory in the last seven outings and ninth in the previous 11, but the Trojans have gone only 2-6 ATS over their last eight outings at any location.

USC erased an 8-point second-half deficit against the Cougars, while junior guard Boogie Ellis hit a game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds left on the clock. Ellis finished with 21 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field. Senior guard Drew Peterson had 17 points, while junior forward Isaiah Mobley posted a line of eight points, nine boards, four assists, and a couple of blocks and steals.

The Trojans improved to 12-4 in conference play to tie the UCLA Bruins for the second seed. USC is No. 16 in the AP Top 25 Poll, No. 24 in the NCAA NET Rankings, and No. 27 in the KenPom rankings.

Oregon State lost 12 in a row          

The Oregon State Beavers fell to 3-22 straight up and 6-18-1 on the season following a heavy 73-53 defeat at Arizona State this past Saturday. It was another embarrassment for the Beavers, who turned the ball over 19 times and made only two of their 19 attempts from deep.

Now, the Beavers are riding a 12-game losing streak. They’ve covered the spread only once in their last ten showings. At least, the Beavers have won one of their 15 games in the conference play thus far.

Oregon State is No. 249 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 235 in the KenPom rankings, which tells a lot about the Beavers’ performance. Wayne Tinkle’s boys are on the pace for the worst winning percentage in program history. Back in 1995-96, Oregon State went 4-23 (.148).

Trends:

USC:

  • 6-2 ATS in the last eight games on the road

Oregon State:

  • 1-8-1 ATS in the last ten games overall 

USC vs. Oregon State Pick

Six of the Beavers’ last eight losses have come by 11 or more points, so it’s tough to back them in this matchup even though the Trojans have struggled to cover lately. Interestingly, Oregon State lost at USC by ten points in their first meeting of the season despite making 52.9% of its triples, as the Trojans outscored the Beavers 44-29 in the second half.

The Beavers’ defense has been struggling all season long. Oregon State allows a whopping 109.8 points per 100 possessions (299th in the country) on 46.9% shooting from the field (340th), so USC’s offense should be a key factor. Keep your eyes on Chevez Goodwin, who posted a 20-point, 12-rebounds double-double in that 81-71 win over the Beavers in January.

Pick: Take USC -11.0 at -110                     

The Total:

The under is 6-3 in USC’s last nine outings. On the other side, three of Oregon State’s last five contests have gone under the total, but the over is 13-4-1 in the Beavers’ previous 18 outings.

I’ve mentioned how bad the Beavers’ D has been thus far. USC, on the flip side, is a top-50 team in the country in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Trojans should surpass a 70-point mark in this game, but the Beavers’ offense could be a problem. Oregon State has scored more than 65 points only once in its past eight games. I lean the under because both teams average just under 67.0 possessions per 40 minutes.

Pick: Go under 139.0 points at -110