Southern Jaguars vs USC Trojans Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Southern vs USC NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Los Angeles.

Southern vs USC Prediction

Betting on today's Jaguars and Trojans game? Catch the action at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA, as the Trojans hosts this showdown at 4:00 ET on BTN. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 144.5 points, and USC is favored by -17.5 at home against Southern.

Southern vs. USC Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Southern Jaguars at USC Trojans
Where: Los Angeles at Galen Center
Date: Sunday, December 22nd
Betting Odds USC -17.5, SOUTH +1140 | USC -3061 O/U 144.5

Jaguars Preview: Can the Jaguars Offense Score Enough on the Road?

Southern fell to 2-6 on the season after an 89-73 loss to Loyola Marymount on Friday. The Jaguars were +6.5 underdogs heading into the game and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 162, surpassing the O/U line of 136.5.

Southern struggled early, trailing 53-28 at halftime, but showed some fight in the 2nd half by outscoring the Lions 45-36. However, the early deficit was too much to overcome.

Jaguars Offense Breakdown

In their recent game, the Southern Jaguars struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 3 of 21 attempts for a 14.3% three-point shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 38.2% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 41.2%. Their two-point shooting was more respectable at 48.9% (23/47).

Alex Merkviladze led the way with 24 points, shooting 63.6% from the field and 85.7% from three-point range (6/7). Puoch Dobuol added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Michael Jacobs contributed 16 points and 4 assists. The Jaguars also grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and finished with 11 assists as a team.

Jaguars Team Defense

Southern's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 89 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 49% from the field. They were particularly vulnerable from beyond the arc, where the other team hit 16 of 29 threes, a 55% shooting performance.

From the free-throw line, Southern's opponent shot 65%, making 13 of 20 attempts. Southern also allowed 13 offensive rebounds in the game.

Trojans Preview: Can the Trojans Offense Score Enough at Home?

USC improved to 8-4 on the season with a 90-69 win over CSUN on Wednesday. The Trojans, who were -12 favorites, covered the spread in the victory. The game’s total points of 159 exceeded the O/U line of 151.5.

After leading 40-39 at halftime, USC clamped down defensively, holding CSUN to 30 points in the 2nd half while scoring 50 themselves.

Trojans Offense Breakdown

USC's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 90 points with a 46.9% field goal percentage. They were particularly deadly from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 19 threes for a 63.2% shooting rate. Their effective field goal percentage was 59.2%, and they also shot 82.1% from the free-throw line, making 32 of 39 attempts.

Chibuzo Agbo led the way with 23 points, hitting 5 of 7 threes, while Desmond Claude added 21 points and 9 assists. Keonte Jones and PJ Fuller II each contributed 17 points, with Fuller knocking down 4 of 6 from deep. Saint Thomas added 16 points, hitting 3 of 4 from three-point range.

Trojans Team Defense

Despite a strong defensive effort inside, USC couldn't contain the outside shooting, giving up 69 points on 46% shooting. The Trojans held the opposing team to just 36% on two-point attempts, with the other team hitting 11 of 30 shots.

However, USC struggled to defend the three-point line, where the other team shot 63%, making 12 of 19 attempts. The Trojans also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 39 times, where they hit 32 free throws at an 82% clip.

Jaguars vs Trojans Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, Southern has an ATS record of 6-4 while averaging 67 per game. The team went 3-7 overall in these games.
The Trojans are 3-2 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Southern has an ATS mark of 2-1 while going 1-2 straight up.
The Trojans have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.