Drake vs. Southern California Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The wait to find out their first round opponent is over for USC after Drake took down the Wichita State Shockers 53-52 in their First Four matchup on Thursday. With the Bulldogs’ best player, ShanQuan Hemphill, playing limited minutes with a foot injury, can Drake still manage to pull off the upset, or will the Trojans cruise to a victory on Saturday?
Drake Bulldogs vs. Southern California Trojans NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
USC opened as 6.5-point favourites over Drake for this game, but that line could shift, depending on the availability of Hemphill. Both these teams have been solid against the spread this season. The Bulldogs are 21-7 ATS and have covered in six of their last nine games. Even though they have a winning ATS record, the Trojans have struggled to cover, lately. USC is 16-13 ATS, but have failed to cover in five of their last six games. Both teams have hit the Over in two of four neutral site games this year.
(11) Drake Bulldogs
Drake didn’t look entirely comfortable in their win over Wichita State on Thursday, but chalk it up to first game jitters and move on to the next one. The Bulldogs can play a lot of different ways, so their best bet in this game is likely an up-tempo pace, as USC generally likes to slow things down. The main concern for Drake is the status of Hemphill. In a very limited role of 10 minutes, Hemphill put up four points on Thursday. He’s Drake best player and averages a team-high 14.1 points per game, but he’s still clearly dealing with his foot injury. In Hemphill’s limited role, look for Joseph Yesufu to step up. Yesufu is averaging 12.1 points per game and dropped a team-high 21 points on Thursday. Drake has the ability to win this game, but they’re essentially going to need to do it without their leading scorer.
(6) Southern California Trojans
USC needs to take full advantage of their rested roster. After a disappointing showing in the Pac-12 Tournament, they’ve had more time to rest and get players back healthy. The Trojans biggest strength is likely rebounding. Thanks to the Mobley brothers, USC was able to average 39.5 rebounds per game this season, the best mark in the Pac-12. Evan Mobley averaged a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game, while brother Isaiah averaged 7.4. Evan also led the team in points per game (16.8) and blocks (3). The Trojans’ defence is great at limiting opportunities and they’re a big step up from a Wichita State team that Drake struggled against. With the healthier, more talented and better rested roster, this is USC’s game to lose.
DRKE
USC