The No. 10 USC Trojans (1-0) will be at home in Galen Center when they go head-to-head against the North Dakota State Bison (0-1). The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 149 points with USC set as a 25-point favorite. Action begins at 11 p.m. ET on Monday, November 13, 2017, and it can be seen on Pac-12 Network.
North Dakota State Bison at USC Trojans ATS Preview
The Bison got blown out by the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in their last outing, 85-66. Paul Miller had a solid performance for North Dakota State, leading the team in scoring with 18 points on 4-for-13 shooting. UC Santa Barbaras offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over North Dakota State. The Gauchos had a rate of 26.7, while the Bison posted a mark of 20.0.
In the Trojans last matchup, they blew out the Cal State Fullerton Titans, 84-42. With 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting, Chimezie Metu was the top scorer from either team. USC dominated every stat category in the game. They had an effective field goal percentage of 0.485 and a turnover percentage of 14.1. Cal State Fullerton was 0.250 and 22.4, respectively, for those same stats.
USC should be expected to protect the ball well in this contest. Since the 2016-17 season, USC ranks 23rd in the nation at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 16.0 percent), while North Dakota State has forced the 91st-fewest turnovers (17.5 percent).
The Bison are 19-12 straight up (SU) since last season, but have struggled covering the spread (8-17-1 against the spread (ATS)). Games including North Dakota State have had a tendency to finish over the O/U total since last season (73.1 percent).
The Trojans, on the other hand, are 25-9 SU and 20-16 ATS since last season. Vegas has also been spot on when setting the O/U total of USC games over that same time frame with an even split between overs and unders.
North Dakota State Bison at USC Trojans Betting Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – USC, ATS Winner – North Dakota State, O/U – Over
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
- The Trojans rank 141st in rebounds per game (36.1) while the Bison rank 157th in rebounds allowed per game (34.9).
- USC ranks 68th in steals per game (7.0) while North Dakota State ranks 72nd in steals allowed per game (5.6).
- USC ranks 67th in assists per game (15.2) while North Dakota State ranks 239th (12.2).
- The Trojans rank 10th in blocks per game (5.4) while the Bison rank 109th (3.7).
- North Dakota State ranks 161st in three pointers attempted per game (21.1) while USC ranks 244th in three pointers allowed per game (22.6).