2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Mississippi State vs. USC

The second round of the women's college basketball tournament continues on Monday. JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans are back in action at 10:00 p.m. ET as they look to knock off the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Basketball fans are rooting for a USC vs. UConn regional semifinals rematch. Can the Trojans inch one step closer tonight?

Here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds for Mississippi State vs. USC.

Betting Picks for Mississippi State vs. USC

Under 145.5 (-112)

This 1-versus-9 seed matchup is showing an 18.5-point spread in favor of USC. It's a seemingly efficient mark that I do not feel comfortable biting on, but we can find value in the under.

USC (14th-ranked adjusted offense, 2nd-ranked adjusted defense) and Mississippi State (40th adjusted offense, 26th adjusted defense) each show their strongest marks on defense (per BartTorvik).

Both teams put their defensive prowess on display in the first round. The Trojans held UNC Greensboro to 25 total points and only 11 points in the first half. I don't care how vast the talent disparity was in that one -- it's a feat to hold any organized basketball team to 7-for-54 shooting (13.0%).

The Bulldogs' D came out to play on Saturday, too. They held California's top-40 adjusted offense to 46 points on 25.0% shooting from the field.

Pit these two defenses against each other, and it's hard to imagine them exceeding 145.5 points. USC and Mississippi State combined for only 130 points in the first round despite seeing much softer matchups than they will tonight. On top of that, the Trojans (41st percentile) and Bulldogs (42nd percentile) have tame three-point rates, and neither team is particularly skilled from downtown to begin with.

USC has played four non-conference games against top-30 defenses. Here's a look at the totals in this split: 119, 134, 135, and 142 points. The under seems like the play, and Torvik has this game totaling only 139 points.

Kiki Iriafen To Record 10+ Rebounds (+154)

Potential low shooting clips for each side -- particularly Mississippi State -- translate to rebound chances. Kiki Iriafen can make good on those chances.

Iriafen hauled in 13 boards despite being called on for only 27 minutes in the first round. The competition figures to be a bit friskier this go-around, and Iriafen has logged double-digit boards in 50.0% of games where she played at least 30 minutes -- up from the 39.4% implied probability on these +154 odds.

And remember those low-scoring, non-conference games against top-30 defenses? Iriafen tallied 9, 11, 12, and 13 rebounds in that split. Look for her to clean up the glass tonight.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest women's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.