Northwestern vs USC Prediction, Picks & Odds | 21 Jan 2026

College Basketball Betting Preview: Northwestern vs USC

The Northwestern Wildcats battle the USC Trojans, with tip-off scheduled for 23:00 on Wednesday, January 21.

It’s time to go for USC against the spread, especially with an attractive -6.5 line at -110. Our prediction is that this can be comfortably achieved in their meeting with Northwestern.

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Northwestern Wildcats were beaten 77-58 in their previous game, being turned over at home to Nebraska Cornhuskers.

USC Trojans were defeated last time out. They were beaten at home to Purdue Boilmakers by a 69-64 scoreline.

Head-to-Head Statistics

The last matchup between Northwestern and USC saw the former win. It was a 77-75 scoreline.

NCAAB	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
USC	14-4	1501	1364	137	9-2	5-2	1L
Northwestern	8-10	1392	1295	97	7-6	1-4	5L

View Full Standings

Northwestern vs USC Prediction & Picks

Get the edge with our best Northwestern vs USC picks: a key match prediction, correct score recommendation and a ready-made bet builder. Explore each section below for detailed insights.

Game Prediction

The best pick is to snap up the -110 that USC are able to cover the spread. The favorites are -6.5 for this college game and the margin of victory could be a good deal more significant.

To deliver the best possible basketball picks, we start by locking in the team news and taking time to review the latest form. There’s also no shortage of data to crunch from the most up-to-date college hoops stats available.

Key Northwestern vs USC stats:

• The -6.5 line has been covered by USC in 4 of their last 5 games at home.
• The -6.5 line has been covered by USC in 6 of their last 10 games at home.
• The +6.5 line hasn’t been covered by Northwestern in 3 of their last 5 games.
• The +6.5 line hasn’t been covered by Northwestern in 2 consecutive games.

USC -6.5 Probability

The latest odds at the best betting apps suggest our pick carries a 52.4% chance of winning. Based on our cappers in-depth research, we calculate the actual probability to be 55-60%. This is why we can recommend this college basketball wager.

Looking for more juice from your selection? By moving the betting line, you are able to get bigger odds although you will need to take a riskier bet.

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Our Game Prediction

USC -6.5 @ -110 Bet Now

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Correct Score Prediction

Northwestern 68 - 77 USC

If you want to take a chance on a correct score, then the Trojans to enjoy a 77-68 win could be along the right lines. There are enormous odds for this particular outcome.

Northwestern vs USC Odds

The odds and lines are updated on a frequent basis. You might therefore find that they are different to the ones listed for the above betting predictions.

The sportsbooks’ betting odds have USC as -323 favorites for this college game, implying that they are 76% likely to win. The market suggests that Northwestern are least likely to win at +250.

The current spread is 6.5 and total points is 152.5. There are many ways to bet on basketball including the Totals. Those expecting a low total can back Under 152.5 at -110.

If you’re betting on college basketball, we recommend heading to the top betting sites and scanning through the wide range of team props and game lines. There’s the opportunity to wager pre-game and in-game.

Moneyline

Northwestern

+250

USC

-323

Point Spread

Northwestern +6.5

-110

USC -6.5

-110

Total Points

Under 152.5

-110

Over 152.5

-110

There is regularly betting value to be found from wagering on the player props with the best online gambling sites. You can find lots of ways to back for or against a specific player lining up for one of the two teams.

Micro betting is something that’s really popular with bettors, with college basketball fans essentially being able to wager in-game when it comes to score, player and team props. Check out the two-way lines where you can bet whether the next shot will be a Two-pointer or a Three-pointer.

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

Northwestern Stats

USC Stats

Moneyline

• 3 wins and 7 defeats in the last 10 games
• 4 wins and 6 defeats in the last 10 games on the road

Moneyline

• 6 wins and 4 defeats in the last 10 games
• 8 wins and 2 defeats in the last 10 home games

Point Spread

• +6.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 7 of the last 10 games
• +6.5 Betting Line on the Road: Have covered the spread in 6 of the last 10 games on the road

Point Spread

• -6.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 5 of the last 10 games
• -6.5 Betting Line at Home: Have covered the spread in 6 of the last 10 home games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 146.70 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals on the Road: An average of 139.20 pts in the previous 10 games on the road
• Over 152.5: Covered in 3 of the previous 10 games
• Over 152.5 on the Road: Covered in 2 of the previous 10 games on the road
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 74.40 pts and allowed 72.30 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals on the Road: Have scored an average of 69.40 pts and allowed 69.80 pts in the last 10 games on the road

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 152.00 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals at Home: An average of 164.10 pts in the previous 10 home games
• Over 152.5: Covered in 6 of the previous 10 games
• Over 152.5 at Home: Covered in 8 of the previous 10 home games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 77.60 pts and allowed 74.40 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals at Home: Have scored an average of 88.60 pts and allowed 75.50 pts in the last 10 home games

NCAAB Table Select Season 2025/20262024/20252023/20242022/20232021/20222020/20212019/2020

Big Ten	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Nebraska	18-0	1466	1176	290	14-0	4-0	18W
Michigan	17-1	1668	1242	426	11-1	6-0	3W
Purdue	17-2	1598	1294	304	13-1	4-1	1L
Michigan State	17-2	1491	1207	284	12-1	5-1	5W
Illinois	15-3	1532	1214	318	10-3	5-0	7W
USC	14-4	1501	1364	137	9-2	5-2	1L
Iowa	14-5	1480	1185	295	12-1	2-4	2W
Wisconsin	13-5	1503	1362	141	10-1	3-4	4W
Ohio State	13-5	1498	1299	199	9-3	4-2	2W
UCLA	13-6	1476	1318	158	11-1	2-5	1W
Indiana	12-7	1541	1329	212	11-3	1-4	4L
Washington	10-8	1442	1332	110	7-3	3-5	2L
Minnesota	10-9	1384	1294	90	9-5	1-4	4L
Penn State	9-9	1383	1373	10	8-6	1-3	5L
Rutgers	9-10	1335	1408	-73	9-3	0-7	2L
Maryland	8-10	1341	1400	-59	7-4	1-6	1W
Northwestern	8-10	1392	1295	97	7-6	1-4	5L
Oregon	8-11	1405	1411	-6	7-6	1-5	5L

• Overall = Overall Wins-Losses
• PF = Total Points For
• PA = Total Points Against
• N. Pts = Point Differential
• Home = Home Record
• Away = Away Record
• Strk = Current Streak

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