Tulane vs. USC Prediction Tonight: Best College Basketball Crown Picks, Odds & Preview
The new postseason tournament, the College Basketball Crown, is all the rage with a $300,000 NIL package on the line for the winners. The Tulane Green Wave and USC Trojans square off in tonight's first round, with tipoff set for 11 p.m. ET (FS1) from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Our Tulane vs. USC prediction, odds, and preview for tonight's opening round suggest that the Trojans - who are 8.5-point betting favorites at our best sports betting sites - will likely advance with relative ease.
🏀 Tulane vs. USC prediction & picks: College Basketball Crown
Here are my best Tulane vs. USC predictions for the College Basketball Crown; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:
✅ Against the spread pick: USC -8.5 (-112 via DraftKings) vs. Tulane ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Over/Under bet: Under 157.5 (-105 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: USC 81, Tulane 71
👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness predictions.
🏆 Best Tulane vs. USC pick & score prediction
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✅ USC to cover the spread: -8.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tulane has had a handful of players already announce their intentions to enter the transfer portal, some of whom could end up still playing in this tournament.
It’s a dynamic that I don’t believe will end well for the Green Wave, as Ron Hunter will have his work cut out for him regarding lineup decisions. With some players essentially auditioning for other programs while looking to line their pockets with the CBC prize fund, I’m not sure team basketball will come first for Tulane on Tuesday night.
Not to mention, USC is the far better team on paper, even before considering all of the outside factors contributing to this matchup. The Green Wave are 0-8 in Quad 1 and 2 games this season, while USC is 7-4 in Quads 2 and 3.
USC has been lackluster overall against the spread, but is 8-7-1 ATS as a favorite this season. Because of the pot of gold at the end of the CBC rainbow, there should be plenty of motivation for the team that ranks 76 spots higher in KenPom to dispose of a Tulane group whose portal dysfunction could be its undoing.
📊 Best odds: -112 via DraftKings ($10 to win $8.93)
🔥 Over/Under pick: Under 157.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
USC games trended strongly to the Over this season, going 24-9. However, in today's matchup, neither team is particularly explosive in the scoring department, with Tulane ranking 135th nationally in points per game. At 76.9 PPG, USC stands 75th in the country in scoring.
USC's woeful defensive reputation gives legs to this total, which has ballooned up several points since opening at 153.5. The Trojans allow 75.5 PPG, ranking 259th in the nation. But against a Tulane team that ranks 135th in adjusted offensive efficiency while running an adjusted tempo outside the top 200, it feels like this number has jumped the shark. We could still see a high-scoring affair without getting to the level of this inflated total.
📊 Best odds: -105 via FanDuel ($10 to win $9.52)
🎯 Score prediction: USC 81, Tulane 71
Although USC has engaged in just about as many blowout losses as it has blowout wins in recent weeks, we don’t see Tulane’s scoring ability being of a similar caliber to the Big Ten opponents that the Trojans have seen most frequently.
Assuming Tulane can keep enough synergy in its starting lineup despite the transfer portal impact, we like the Green Wave to notch 70-plus points for the fourth straight game, but the 170th-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency will struggle to contain the moderately efficient Trojan attack.
📊 Best odds: OFF
🤖 Tulane vs. USC AI prediction
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze college basketball stats and trends before predicting the winner and exact score for Tulane vs. USC. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Tulane 78, USC 74.
🖥️ AI score prediction: Tulane 78, USC 74
- Offensive Edge: Tulane’s balanced scoring attack (74.9 PPG) gives them an edge against USC’s inconsistent defense (75.5 PPG allowed).
- Betting Trends Favor the Over: Both teams have hit the Over in 60%+ of their recent matchups, making the total points line worth monitoring.
- Late-Game Execution Matters: USC has struggled in close games this season (3-7 in contests decided by 5 points or fewer), which could be the difference in a tight finish.
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Tulane covering the spread (+8.5) and a total of Under 157.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that college basketball bettors might overlook.
📊 Live Tulane vs. USC odds
Follow the latest live college basketball odds and real-time college basketball scores.
The USC Trojans are 7.5-point betting favorites at our best live betting sites as of an hour before tonight's tipoff. The Trojans are now -345 moneyline favorites - up from -285 in the opening line - and the total has increased by multiple points, as well.
🔢 Tulane vs. USC opening odds
- Spread: Tulane +6.5 (-110) | USC -8.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Tulane +225 | USC -285
- Over/Under: Over 153.5 (-110) | Under 153.5 (-110)
📺 How to watch Tulane vs. USC: College Basketball Crown
📅 Date: Tuesday, April 1
🕗 Time: 11 p.m. ET
📍 Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas)
📺 TV: FS1
💻 Streaming: FOX Sports App
💰 March Madness betting odds pages
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