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Oregon State Beavers at USC Trojans Game Pick

Oregon State and USC played one-point games in their last two meetings and they could be in for another even matchup Thursday night at USC.

Neither team is playing well entering this Pac-12 affair; the Trojans having lost eight straight and the Beavers four of five. Oregon State guard Roberto Nelson continues to lead the conference in scoring (20.8) but USC forward Byron Wesley is just as hot lately, averaging 22 points in the last five games.

Nelson scored 24 points when the Beavers beat visiting USC in overtime last month and Wesley finished with 23, but the player who gave the Trojans the most trouble was reserve forward Devon Collier, who scored 13 with the help of 13 trips to the free-throw line. Collier, a 6-8 forward from the Bronx, N.Y., continues to come off the bench and create havoc against the opponent’s second unit. The only backup for the Trojans with the size to handle Collier is Strahinja Gavrilovic.

 

Beavers Be Damned

The Trojans start 7-2 center Omar Oraby so that’s always a concern for the opponent. Fortunately, the Beavers have a solid big man in 6-10 senior Angus Brandt, who has quietly put together a 12-game streak of scoring in double figures. Brandt doesn’t have to worry about handling most of the rebounding and shot-blocking either, as 6-10 Eric Moreland is averaging 9.2 boards a game and needs three blocks to break the program record held by Scott Haskin (172).

Fall of Trojan

Pe’Shon Howard is coming off his best game in Pac-12 play, scoring 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting. He made both his 3-point tries and is 5-for-8 in the last two games after sitting out a Feb. 16 loss to Colorado for a violation of team rules. Howard has 108 assists and Julian Jacobs has 99, putting the Trojans in position to have two players with at least 100 assists since 2007.

College Basketball Free Sports Betting Pick

In a game featuring two teams that are struggling to get noticed, the edge will belong to the home team. USC wins a very close game as they pull away late to win big. Play on USC.