Montana State Bobcats vs USC Trojans Prediction, 12/15/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Montana State Bobcats vs USC Trojans

Date: Sunday, December 15, 2024

Location: Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA

TV: BTN+

Galen Center is the site where the USC Trojans (6-4) will try to beat the Montana State Bobcats (5-5) on Sunday.

The Montana State Bobcats played UMKC and notched a win by a score of 74-62 in their last contest. Montana State wrapped up the contest with a 49.1% field goal percentage (26 out of 53) and buried 11 of their 27 three-point shots. At the charity stripe, the Bobcats made 11 of 16 tries for a percentage of 68.8%. With respect to grabbing boards, they collected 29 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 14 dimes in this contest in addition to creating 8 turnovers and earning 4 steals. In the matter of defense, Montana State allowed the other team to shoot 36.2% from the field on 21 out of 58 shooting. UMKC doled out 10 dimes and had 8 steals for the game. Additionally, UMKC snagged 31 rebounds (9 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. UMKC finished the contest at 82.4% from the charity stripe by knocking down 14 of 17 shots. They knocked down 6 of 27 tries from beyond the arc. Regarding fouls, the Bobcats ended up with 14 while UMKC racked up 15 fouls.

Max Agbonkpolo is a player who had an impact for the contest. He accumulated 17 points on 7 of 13 shooting. He played 28 minutes and pulled down 9 rebounds. He finished the contest at 53.8% from the floor but had no dimes when the game ended.

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Montana State will enter this game with a win-loss mark of 5-5 for the year. They average 75.9 points per outing (185th in the country) on 46.5% from the field. The Bobcats are hitting 37.2% from downtown (102 of 274) and 74.4% from the charity stripe. As a team, Montana State is snagging 34.2 rebounds per game and has accounted for 152 dimes so far this year, which ranks 119th in the nation in terms of passing. They are giving up possession 10.7 times per game and as a group they are committing 16.5 personal fouls per game.

Defensively, the Bobcats are forcing 12.6 turnovers per game while drawing 16.2 personal fouls. They relinquish 26.9% on 3-pointers and they are 87th in college basketball in PPG allowed (67.1). The Bobcats defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 41.3% (236 of 572) and they concede 34.2 rebounds per game as a group. They are 108th in D-1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 114 surrendered so far this year.

In their last game, the USC Trojans walked away with a victory by a final of 85-61 against Washington. Regarding team rebounding, USC permitted Washington to snag 24 overall (9 on the offensive side). They finished 26.3% from three-point range by hitting 5 out of 19 and walked away from this one shooting 12 of 21 at the free throw line (57.1%). The Trojans permitted Washington to convert 22 of their 56 tries from the floor which gave them a rate of 39.3% for the game. When this game wrapped up, the Trojans finished shooting 32 for 50 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 64.0%. In regard to shooting from 3-point land, USC made 7 of their 16 tries (43.8%). They were able to make 14 of the free throws for a percentage of 82.4%. Washington committed 21 personal fouls for the contest which took the Trojans to the free throw line for a total of 17 shots. They also gave up possession 13 times, while earning 6 steals in this matchup. The Trojans snagged 28 defensive boards and 2 offensive boards for a total of 30 for the matchup.

Desmond Claude was important for the Trojans for this contest. He converted 5 out of 6 in the matchup giving him a field goal percentage of 83.3%, and added 4 rebounds. He earned 20 points in his 35 minutes on the court and accumulated 4 assists in this matchup.

USC has a record of 6-4 on the campaign. In terms of offensive execution, the Trojans are hitting on 47.5% from the floor, which is ranked 87th in the country. USC has scored 732 pts for the year (73.2 per contest) and they collect 30.1 rebounds per contest. They are assisting teammates 15.3 times per game (115th in college hoops) and they lose possession via turnover 11.2 times per game. The Trojans are committing 17.1 personal fouls every game while shooting 74.1% from the charity stripe.

The USC defense gives up 34.7% on shots from beyond the perimeter (74 of 213) and their opponents are knocking down 73.8% of their shots from the free throw line. They have surrendered 14.7 assists and 33.1 boards every game, which is 297th and 119th in Division 1. The Trojans defensively are ranked 169th in college hoops in PPG given up with 70.6. They have forced 13.5 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.7% from the field (268th in the nation).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Montana State

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