USC Trojans vs Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/11/25
The Trojans and Fighting Illini are set to face off at 12:00 ET on BTN. The Fighting Illini will host the game at State Farm Center in Champaign, IL. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 154.5 points, and Illinois is favored by -14 to win at home against USC.
USC TROJANS VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK
The Pick: USC Trojans +14
This game will be played at State Farm Center at 12:00 ET on Saturday, January 11th.
WHY BET THE USC TROJANS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Fighting Illini.
- Even though we have Illinois winning straight-up, we like USC at +14.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 154.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.
Can USC Pull Off a Road Win?
USC dropped to 9-6 on the season following an 82-69 road loss to Indiana on Wednesday. The Trojans entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 151, surpassing the over/under line of 148.5.
After a 38-38 tie at halftime, USC struggled in the second half, scoring just 31 points while allowing 44. The Trojans will need to tighten up defensively and find more consistency on offense as they look to bounce back.
USC’s offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 41% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.9%, with a notable struggle from beyond the arc, hitting just 6 of 26 threes for 23.1%. Inside the arc, they were more efficient, connecting on 54.3% of their two-point attempts.
Oumar Ballo was a standout, shooting 81.8% from the field and finishing with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Myles Rice added 19 points and 9 rebounds, though he missed all 3 of his three-point attempts. Luke Goode was a bright spot from deep, hitting 4 of 5 threes and finishing with 16 points.
Despite USC’s defensive efforts, they gave up 82 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 43% from the field. The Trojans struggled to contain shots inside the arc, where the other team connected on 51% of their two-point attempts, going 23/45.
USC did manage to limit the damage from three-point range, holding the opposition to just 28% shooting on 6/21 from deep. However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 18 attempts for 78%. USC also allowed 11 offensive rebounds.
Can Illinois Lock in a Home Win?
Illinois improved to 12-3 on the season with a dominant 91-52 win over Penn State on Wednesday. The Illini, who were -7.5 favorites, covered the spread with ease.
Illinois led 45-21 at halftime and continued their strong play in the second half, outscoring Penn State 46-31. The total points for the game were 143, falling well short of the 163.5 O/U line.
Illinois put up 91 points in their last game, shooting 44.2% from the field and hitting 32.3% from beyond the arc (10/31). Their effective field goal percentage was 50.6%, and they connected on 81.2% of their free throws (13/16).
Ben Humrichous led the way with 21 points, hitting 5 threes on 9 attempts, while Morez Johnson Jr. added 20 points, shooting 81.8% from the field. Illinois grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and dished out 19 assists in the win.
Despite Illinois allowing 52 points, they gave up a 44% shooting performance, with the opposing team hitting 34 of their 77 field goal attempts. From inside the arc, Illinois allowed 24 baskets on 46 attempts, a 52% shooting rate.
From three-point range, Illinois’ defense held their opponent to 32%, with 10 made threes on 31 attempts. The opposing team also went to the free-throw line 16 times, converting 13 for an 81% success rate. Illinois gave up 19 offensive rebounds in the game.