The USC Trojans (14-12) travel to face off against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-14) on Sunday, February 23rd. This game will be played at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway and televised on FS1. Rutgers is coming off a win in their previous game, while USC is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Maryland. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.

USC Trojans vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Trojans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

USC’s season record fell to 14-12 after a 88-71 road loss to Maryland on Thursday. The Trojans went into the game as +11.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The combined score of 159 points exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 154.5.

USC trailed 37-27 at halftime and allowed 51 points in the 2nd half while scoring 44 points of their own.

The Scarlet Knights Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Rutgers improved to 13-14 on the season with an 89-85 win over Washington on Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights were +2.5 point underdogs going into the game, but they not only pulled off the win but also covered the spread.

Rutgers led 42-39 at halftime and scored 39 points in the 2nd half while allowing 42. The game’s total points of 174 went over the pre-game O/U line of 147.5.

Trojans Offense Breakdown

USC’s offense put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 46% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 50.8%, and they hit 75% of their free throws, going 6-for-8 from the line. The Trojans struggled on the offensive glass, grabbing just 2 offensive rebounds, and they dished out 13 assists as a team.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie was a standout, hitting 5 threes at a 62.5% clip, finishing with 20 points and 4 assists. Rodney Rice led the team with 22 points, while Wesley Yates III added 21 points, connecting on 2-of-4 from deep. Derik Queen dominated the boards, pulling down 17 rebounds to go along with his 13 points.

Scarlet Knights Offense Breakdown

Rutgers put up 89 points in their last game, shooting 47.4% from the field and 56.1% in effective field goal percentage. They hit 9 of 19 threes, also at a 47.4% clip, and went 26 of 37 from the free-throw line, good for 70.3%.

Dylan Harper led the way with 34 points, shooting 50% from the field and 4 of 8 from deep. Vazoumana Diallo and Mekhi Mason each added 20 points, with Mason hitting 4 of 7 threes at 57.1%.

Trojans Team Defense

USC’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 88 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to hit 53% of their two-point attempts, going 23/43 inside the arc.

From three-point range, USC’s opponents shot 40%, making 8 of 20 attempts. The Trojans also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 18 free throws at an 85% rate.

Scarlet Knights Team Defense

USC’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 88 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 53% of their two-point attempts, with 23 makes on 43 tries.

From beyond the arc, USC’s opponent shot 40%, connecting on 8 of 20 three-pointers. They also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 18 for 85%. USC allowed 9 offensive rebounds.

Trojans vs Scarlet Knights Trends

• Across their three previous road games, USC has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 72 points per game.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Rutgers has an ATS record of 4-4-2 while averaging 77 per game. The team went 4-6 overall in these games.
• As the betting underdog, the Trojans have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. USC posted a straight up mark of 0-3 in these matchups.
• Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Scarlet Knights have a strong record of 3-2. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.

Trojans vs Scarlet Knights Prediction

Not only do we have the Scarlet Knights winning this one by a score of 79-68, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Scarlet Knights at -2.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 153.5 and given that our model is projecting 147 points between the teams, we like the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.