Southern California vs Illinois Prediction

Southern California vs Illinois Game Information

What:	USC vs Illinois Prediction 1/11/2025 College Basketball Picks
When:	Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 12:00 EST/9:00 PST
Where	State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
USC vs Illinois Line:	Illinois -14
Total:	154.5
TV:	BTN

Southern California vs Illinois Preview

No. 13 Illinois (12-3, 4-1 in Big Ten) welcomes new conference members USC (9-6, 1-3 in Big Ten) to Champaign early Saturday in a Big Ten Conference showdown from the State Farm Center in the first-ever meeting between these two teams as Big Ten members. In their last 5 games, the Trojans are 3-2, beating Montana State by 26 (89-63), CSUN by 21 (90-69), and Southern by 31 (82-51) before losing back-to-back games to Michigan by 11 (85-74) and Indiana by 13 (82-69). In their last 5 games, the Fighting Illini are a perfect 5-0, defeating Missouri by 3 (80-77), Chicago State by 53 (117-64), Oregon by 32 (109-77), Washington by 4 (81-77), and Penn State by 39 (91-52). Online sportsbook DraftKings currently has Illinois at 30/1 to win the 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament with USC at longshot 350/1 odds.

USC Finding Life in the Big Ten Can be Very Difficult

USC (5-10-0 ATS, 10-5-0 O/U) has been a good team to fade ATS as well as a strong Over team and are realizing the Big Ten Conference may be a little bit harder than things were on the hardwood in the Pac-12, especially when three other of the best Basketball programs (Arizona, Washington, UCLA) also left to conference for this newlook Power 4 mega-conference which is more like the Big Twenty. The Trojans (+575 Moneyline) are led by G Desmond Claude (14.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.9 APG), G Chibuzo Agbo (12.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG), F Terrance Williams II (10.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG), F Saint Thomas (9.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.1 APG), and F Josh Cohen (9.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG) and USC averages 75.7 (#178) and allows 70.4 PPG and averaging 32.1 RPG (#383) and 16.0 APG (Tied-#84).

USC Betting Trends

USC is 7-3-0 SU in its last 10 games overall
The Over is 7-3-0 in the Trojans last 10 games, 5-1-0 last 6
USC is 0-2-0 SU/ATS in its last 2 games (MICH, IND)
The Trojans are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games overall
USC has been Underdogs 3 straight game, 7 of last 11

Illini Off to Impressive Start in the Big Ten Conference

Illinois (8-6-1 ATS, 8-7-0 O/U) continues to pad its résumé, adding Washington and Penn State to the list of impressive teams the Fighting Illini (-850 Moneyline) have already faced along with Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Oregon. Illinois is led in scoring by G Kasparas Jakucionis (16.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.4 APG), C Tomislav Ivisic (12.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG), F Will Riley (11.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG), G Kylan Boswell (11.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.0 APG), G Tre White (11.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG), F Ben Humrichous (9.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG), G Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (6.9 PPG), and F Morez Johnson Jr. (6.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG). The Fighting Illini rank No. 6 in Points Per Game (87.9 PPG) while allowing 66.2 ppg (+21.7 ppg Scoring Differential) and tied at No. 2 in Rebounds Per Game (45.9) thanks in great part to big men Tomislav (7-foot-1), Johnson (6-foot-9), White (6-foot-7), and Jakucionis (6-foot-6),

Illinois Betting Trends

Illinois is 5-0-0 SU in its last 5 games overall
The Fighting Illini are 8-2 SU their last 10 games overall
Illinois ranks No. 6 (AZ) in Scoring Margin (+21.7 ppg)
Illinois is has been Favorites in 12 of its last 13 games (Underdogs vs ALA, TENN)
The Over is 4-2-0 in the Fighting Illini’s last 6 games
The Fighting Illini have scored 100+ Points 4 times