The UNC Asheville Bulldogs (21-12) go head-to-head against the USC Trojans (23-11) in the NIT at Galen Center. The game starts at 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, and will air on ESPN2.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 152 points with USC set as an 18-point favorite.
UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs. USC Trojans ATS Prediction
In the Bulldogs’ last outing, they were defeated by the Liberty Flames, 69-64. Liberty made good use of their 25 trips to the free throw line, converting on 21 of them (84.0 percent). UNC Asheville, on the other hand, was 19-26 (73.1 percent). MaCio Teague was the top scorer from either team with 19 points on 4-for-11 shooting.
The Trojans were beaten by the No. 15 Arizona Wildcats in their last outing, 75-61. Arizona’s rebounding was their biggest advantage. The Wildcats had 13 offensive rebounds and 42 total rebounds, while the Trojans had five and 19, respectively. USC’s Jordan McLaughlin finished with 12 points and nine assists in the game.
USC appears to have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Trojans rank 40th in offensive efficiency, while UNC Asheville ranks 189th in defensive efficiency.
UNC Asheville is 21-12 straight up (SU), but they are just 1-2-1 against the spread (ATS). Bulldogs games tend to finish under the O/U total (75.0 percent).
Meanwhile, USC is 23-11 SU and 20-13-1 ATS. Similarly to UNC Asheville, games involving the Trojans also have a tendency to finish under the projected point total (66.7 percent).
Raekwon Miller has averaged 11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals over the last five games for UNC Asheville.
UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs. USC Trojans Odds Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – USC, ATS Winner – UNC Asheville, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
USC ranks 23rd in steals allowed per game (5.0) while UNC Asheville ranks 147th (6.4).
The Trojans rank 49th in assists per game (15.7) while the Bulldogs rank 170th in assists allowed per game (13.8).
UNC Asheville ranks 171st in three pointers allowed per game (22.2) while USC ranks 232nd (23.4).
The Trojans average 4.2 blocks per game, which ranks 58th in the NCAA. The Bulldogs rank 66th in blocks allowed per game (2.9).
Bettings Trends:
The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 1.6, down from 1.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Trojans have scored an average of 68.4 points per game (8.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 63.6 points per game (6.6 below their season average).
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