NCAA Tournament Picks: Kansas vs USC 3/22/21 College Basketball Picks, Odds, Predictions

The Kansas Jayhawks face off against the USC Trojans Monday in NCAA Tournament college basketball action from Lucas Oil Stadium. 

USC enters this NCAA Tournament Second Round matchup at 23-7 overall. The Trojans bagged a win over Drake on Saturday. As for Kansas, they’re sitting at 21-8 overall. The Jayhawks took out Eastern Washington in the First Round on Saturday. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place. 

USC has been quite the consistent team this season. The Trojans had a 1-3 stretch going in February but aside from that they didn’t lose consecutive games all year. USC managed a nice Saturday win over Drake, taking it 72-56 to move on in the tournament. 

In Saturday’s First Round matchup versus Drake, USC had a slim 40-37 lead at the break but held the Bulldogs to just 19 points from there in the 72-56 result. Leading the way in scoring was Evan Mobley, who doubled up on 17 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. 

Over on the Kansas side, they had a sketchy 2-5 streak in January/February but otherwise they’ve been a consistently solid team this year. The Jayhawks had to pull out of the Big 12 Tournament due to a positive test, but managed a nice win over Eastern Washington in their First Round game. 

In the 93-84 win over Eastern Washington on Saturday, Kansas fell behind 46-38 but rallied to carry a 55-38 advantage the rest of the way for a 94-83 result. Leading the Jayhawks in scoring was David McCormack with 22 points, nine rebounds and two assists. 

The Jayhawks are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 overall and 7-2 ATS in their last nine as a favorite. Kansas is 4-0 ATS in their last four Monday games and 14-6 ATS in their last 20 after an ATS loss.
Meanwhile, the Trojans are 17-8 ATS in their last 25 neutral-site games and 2-5 ATS in their last seven overall. USC is 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight Monday games and the under is 7-2 in their last nine Monday games. 

PICK: I’m likely going with USC here. The Trojans caught a tough break in the Colorado loss, but otherwise have been playing great ball over their last five outings. USC has hit 70 or more points in four of those, and their offense seems to be clicking better than it was earlier in the year. Kansas had a bit of trouble in their First Round game, and I think the Trojans can keep pace for a tight win in this one. Should be a fun matchup.