The college basketball season continues for the Villanova Wildcats and USC Trojans, as both teams have advanced past the first round of the College Basketball Crown to set up a second clash on Thursday night.
Eric Dixon and the Wildcats knocked off Colorado in the opening round while USC blew out Tulane by 29 points.
Boise State and Nebraska have already punched their ticket to the semifinals on Saturday, and oddsmakers have Villanova favored to be the final team to earn a spot on Thursday night.
Here’s a look at the odds, players to watch and my prediction for the second round of the College Basketball Crown on Thursday.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Eric Dixon: The leading scorer in the country (23.0 points per game), Dixon had 22 points in Villanova’s win over Colorado in the first round. He and Wooga Poplar (24 points) are a dynamic scoring duo, combining to average 37.7 points per game for the season.
Rashaun Agee: The sixth-leading scorer for the Trojans during the regular season, Agee had a massive game against Tulane, finishing with 27 points and nine rebounds. He’s averaging 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for the season but could earn another start on Thursday.
Villanova has one of the 25 best offenses in the country, per KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric, but it plays at an extremely slow pace (351st in the country). So, it’s really hard to take an OVER when the Wildcats play.
That being said, I do think Dixon, Poplar and this Villanova squad will cover the spread as a favorite in this matchup.
The Wildcats not only are an elite offensive team, ranking fifth in the country in 3-point percentage, but they’re also 51st in opponent points per game. Meanwhile, USC – another team that relies heavily on its offense – is 272nd in the country in opponent points per game.
While the Trojans’ win over Tulane was impressive, I’m not sold on them beating a veteran Villanova team with players – like Dixon – potentially playing in their final collegiate game.
Pick: Villanova -5.5 (-115 at BetMGM)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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