The Idaho Vandals head to Galen Center to take on the USC Trojans. The game begins at 10:00 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 7 and can be seen on PAC.
The Trojans defeated UC Santa Barbara 75-63 on Thursday. With 12 points and 10 rebounds, Julian Jacobs recorded his second double-double this season.
USC is a big 20-point favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is set at 146 points. The Trojans enter this game with records of 6-2 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). The Trojans have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 13th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 44.6 per game, while the Vandals rank 240th in the nation with 35.4 per game. The Trojans have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 42nd in the country with a .383 opponent field-goal percentage. An area where the Trojans are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 6.9 blocks per game, second in Division I.
Across the court, Idaho has a SU record of 5-4 and an ATS record of 3-3. The Vandals are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 158 free throws made ranks 24th in Division I.
USC and Idaho will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – USC, ATS Winner – USC, O/U – Over
Notes
USC is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
USC is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home.
On average, USC has 74.4 possessions per game and scores 1.120 points on each possession. Idaho has both fewer possessions (67.9) and scores fewer points during those possessions (.942).
USC has an average effective field goal percentage of 52.1%. Idaho is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, USC attempts 23.0 three pointers and Idaho attempts 18.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the USC Trojans have a dazzling 6-2 record while the Idaho Vandals are even at 2-2.
The USC Trojans average 6.9 blocks per game, the second-ranked team in the country. The Idaho Vandals rank a lowly 258th in blocking with just 2.7 per game.
USC ranks 48th in offensive rebounding. Idaho ranks 217th in defensive rebounding.
The USC Trojans make an average of 6.1 steals per game. The Idaho Vandals are 5-4 when they allow 6 or more steals.
