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  1. Home
  2. NCAAB Picks
  3. USC Trojans vs Illinois Fighting Illini
Sat 12:00 PM ET
USC Trojans logo
USC
Trojans82
18-14
versus
Illinois Fighting Illini logo
Illinois
Fighting Illini72
28-9
Final
Team12T
USC Trojans354782
Illinois Fighting Illini383472
NCAAB · USC Trojans at Illinois Fighting Illini

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USC Trojans vs Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Picks & Predictions

Game time: January 11, 2025 at 12:00 PM ET

Venue: State Farm Center — Champaign, IL

Article updated Jan 11, 1:15 AM EST

Published by SportsJaw Editorial Team

In this NCAAB matchup, USC and Illinois will face off in a battle on the hardwood in the Land of Lincoln. USC is coming off a loss to Indiana, while Illinois dominated Penn

Game outlook

In this NCAAB matchup, USC and Illinois will face off in a battle on the hardwood in the Land of Lincoln. USC is coming off a loss to Indiana, while Illinois dominated Penn State in their previous game. The Trojans hold a 6-3 series advantage, but the Fighting Illini have won the last three meetings. Illinois is currently favored by 14 points in the upcoming game.

Betting Odds

Moneyline: Trojans +650 | Fighting Illini -1,000

Spread: Trojans +14 (-110) | Fighting Illini -14 (-110)

Total: Over/Under 154 (-110)

Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Illinois will win straight-up is 91%.

USC Trojans

USC suffered a second consecutive defeat on the road against Indiana, dropping their overall record to 9-6 and 1-3 in the Big Ten. Despite leading by 10 early in the game, they found themselves tied at halftime and ultimately fell behind in the second half. USC struggled with shooting and rebounding in the loss, with Wesley Yates III leading the team with 18 points. The Trojans have an average of 75.7 points per game, ranking 171st in scoring offense, and are above average on defense, allowing 70.4 points per game. Terrance Williams II, Desmond Claude, and Josh Cohen are key scorers for the team, with Williams II likely unavailable due to injury. USC shoots 47% from the field, including 33.2% from three-point range, and 75.2% from the free-throw line. Despite their recent setbacks, USC is still ranked #21 in power rankings.

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Picks are opinions, not guarantees. Past results do not predict future outcomes.

Illinois Fighting Illini Analysis

Illinois dominated Penn State in a one-sided victory, extending their winning streak to five games. The Fighting Illini improved to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten. They outscored Penn State 40-10 in the first half to take a commanding lead at halftime. Illinois shot 44.2% from the field and dominated the boards in the win. Ben Humichrous led the team with 21 points and nine rebounds. Overall, Illinois ranks 6th in the nation in scoring offense, 1st in rebounding, and 57th in defense. Kasparas Jakucionis, who missed the last game, is questionable for the next matchup. Illinois has solid secondary scoring options and shoots 45.9% from the field as a team. They are above average at the free throw line, converting 75.4% of their opportunities.

USC Faces Size Disadvantage Against Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana

The University of Southern California (USC) has faced difficulties in their recent games due to a common factor - the size advantage of their opponents. Both Indiana and Michigan have players who are taller than the Trojans' average of 6'8, with only Cohen standing above this height in their rotation, averaging 17 minutes per game. Players like Ivisic, who stands at 7'1 for Illinois, present a significant challenge for the Trojans in the low block. USC will also have to contend with Humichrous at 6'9, Riley at 6'8, and White at 6'7. Illinois has demonstrated strong performance at home with an 28-9 record, while USC has struggled in their two road games, winning only one. It is anticipated that the Fighting Illini will secure a victory in this match by capitalizing on their size advantage and scoring capabilities against USC.

SportsJawGame Predictions
Predicted score

Unavailable for this preview

Projected winnerUnavailableConfidencelow
Pick on the Spread

Published pick: Unavailable

Pick on the Total

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#USCTrojans#IllinoisFightingIllini

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Written by

SportsJaw Editorial Team

SportsJaw published this archived preview from its original game-day article. Its prediction and quoted lines are preserved as written.

About our editorial process

SportsJaw Trojans vs Fighting Illini archived game preview contains historical odds and availability that may no longer be current. View history of past Trojans vs Fighting Illini matchups or learn how our predictions work.

Current matchup data

Lines, trends and availability

Line movement since open

  • Moneyline · USC Trojans+600 → +675Moved
  • Moneyline · Illinois Fighting Illini-925 → -1,100Moved
  • Spread · USC Trojans+14 (-110) → +12.5 (-110)Moved
  • Spread · Illinois Fighting Illini-14 (-110) → -12.5 (-110)Moved
  • Total · Over154.5 (-110) → 154 (-110)Moved
  • Total · Under154.5 (-110) → 154 (-110)Moved

ATS and O/U trends

USC Trojans
18-14 matchup record · 3-7-0 ATS · 7-3-0 O/U
Last 10 completed games on file
Illinois Fighting Illini
28-9 matchup record · 4-6-0 ATS · 6-4-0 O/U
Last 10 completed games on file

Injuries and availability

From the published research (2025-01-11T06:15:10.239Z). Availability may have changed; review the cited sources.

USC suffered a second consecutive defeat on the road against Indiana, dropping their overall record to 9-6 and 1-3 in the Big Ten. Despite leading by 10 early in the game, they found themselves tied at halftime and ultimately fell behind in the second half. USC struggled with shooting and rebounding in the loss, with Wesley Yates III leading the team with 18 points. The Trojans have an average of 75.7 points per game, ranking 171st in scoring offense, and are above average on defense, allowing 70.4 points per game. Terrance Williams II, Desmond Claude, and Josh Cohen are key scorers for the team, with Williams II likely unavailable due to injury. USC shoots 47% from the field, including 33.2% from three-point range, and 75.2% from the free-throw line. Despite their recent setbacks, USC is still ranked #21 in power rankings.

Illinois dominated Penn State in a one-sided victory, extending their winning streak to five games. The Fighting Illini improved to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten. They outscored Penn State 40-10 in the first half to take a commanding lead at halftime. Illinois shot 44.2% from the field and dominated the boards in the win. Ben Humichrous led the team with 21 points and nine rebounds. Overall, Illinois ranks 6th in the nation in scoring offense, 1st in rebounding, and 57th in defense. Kasparas Jakucionis, who missed the last game, is questionable for the next matchup. Illinois has solid secondary scoring options and shoots 45.9% from the field as a team. They are above average at the free throw line, converting 75.4% of their opportunities.

Recent head-to-head

No completed head-to-head result is available in the current history window.

Final result

Matchup pick recap

USC Trojans defeated Illinois Fighting Illini 82-72

USC Trojans defeated Illinois Fighting Illini 82-72 on January 11, 2025, a 10-point decision in the series. USC Trojans' strongest period was the 2nd half, when it outscored its opponent 47-34. Against SportsJaw's recorded USC Trojans +12.5 (-110) spread, USC Trojans covered, while the 154 total pushed.

SportsJaw editorial picks

  • Projected winnerNo published selectionUnavailable

Tipster picks

No graded public tipster picks were recorded for this matchup.