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Conference clashes persist as college basketball is in full swing. Read how Nick breaks down the matchup between Iowa and USC, and finds a bet worth taking.
After a dreadful Monday slate, nearly half the nation’s conference foes clash on this truly Super Tuesday. The first game that jumped out to me was a battle between newly acquired conference opponents in the Big Ten.
The Iowa Hawkeyes travel across the country to Southern California to meet a Trojan squad off one of the more surprising results of the season.
Let's dig into one of the Big 10 conference's newest matchups.
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Matchup: Iowa at USC (-1.5)
Location/Tipoff: The Galen Center, 10:30 p.m. EST
Recent Play
Following two rough losses, transfer guard Desmond Claude scored 31 points, leading USC into Champaign and a stunning upset over the Illini despite the lack of player availability. Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes have quietly put together some of the best offensive performances in the country over the past few weeks.
Desmond Claude went off today 💥
The @USC_Hoops G dropped 31 points in their upset win over No. 13 Illinois.#B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/XCaTO7DfUm
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 11, 2025
Per Bart Torvik, Iowa ranks eighth nationally on the offensive end over the past month, but 161st defensively. Coach Eric Musselman’s team actually ranks 19th overall over that same span, despite dropping two of their last three.
Iowa’s offensive success, however, is likely due to a much easier schedule and a stretch of incredibly efficient shooting that I can’t see persisting.
On The Court
Coming into the season, we knew there would be a melting pot of adjustments for Coach Musselman to make. With a roster nearly entirely filled by transfers, it’s no surprise they’ve found a little more cohesion in the recent part of this season.
As previously mentioned, Iowa has shot the ball at an unsustainable clip over the past month, nearly 44% from behind the arc as a team. For the record, shooting 43.5% from behind the three-point line would have led the country by three percent last season.
Both teams have competent ball handlers and protect the ball well, while not being major difference makers on the glass.
My Bet
For reasons outlined above, I am on USC's Moneyline and would play it up to -2.5. I think it is a good spot to back the home team finding their own rhythm recently.
For all of my picks, follow me on X @Roddy_PhD, and best of luck if you tail!
