The USC Trojans (9-6) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (12-3) on Saturday, January 11th. This game will be played at State Farm Center in Champaign and televised on BTN. Illinois is coming off a win in their previous game, while USC is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Indiana. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.

USC Trojans vs Illinois Fighting Illini

The Trojans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

USC dropped to 9-6 on the season after 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 were 151, which went over the pre-game line of 148.5.

USC was tied 38-38 at halftime but struggled in the second half, scoring just 31 points while allowing 44.

The Fighting Illini Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

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, easily covered the spread in this one.

Illinois took control early, leading 45-21 at halftime, and continued their strong play in the second half, outscoring Penn State 46-31. The game’s total points of 143 fell well short of the 163.5 O/U line.

Trojans Offense Breakdown

USC’s offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 41% from the field and 23.1% from beyond the arc, hitting just 6 of 26 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.9%, and they connected on 72.2% of their free throws, going 13 for 18 from the line.

Oumar Ballo led the way with 23 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 81.8% from the floor. Myles Rice added 19 points and 9 rebounds, while Wesley Yates III contributed 18 points, hitting 2 of 6 from three-point range.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois put up 91 points in their latest 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 were strong from the free-throw line, connecting on 81.2% of their attempts (13/16).

Ben Humrichous led the way with 21 points and 9 rebounds, hitting 5 threes at a 55.6% clip. Morez Johnson Jr. was efficient, scoring 20 points on 9/11 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action.

Trojans Team Defense

USC’s defense gave up 82 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field. They allowed 23 two-point baskets on 45 attempts, a 51% success rate.

From beyond the arc, the opposition shot 28%, hitting 6 of their 21 three-point attempts. USC also sent them to the line 23 times, where they converted 18 free throws, a 78% rate. The Trojans gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

USC’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 82 points while allowing the opponent to shoot 43% from the field. Inside the arc, the Trojans allowed 23 field goals on 45 attempts, a 51% shooting rate.

From three-point range, USC’s defense held the opponent to 28% shooting, with 6 made threes on 21 attempts. At the free-throw line, the opponent shot 78%, hitting 18 of 23. The Trojans also gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Trojans vs Fighting Illini Trends

• Across their three previous road games, USC has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 75 points per game.
• Through their last five home contests, the Fighting Illini offense has averaged 77 points per game while allowing an average of 75. Illinois posted an overall record of 3-2 while going 1-4 ATS.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, USC has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
• Over the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Fighting Illini struggled vs the spread going just 2-3. However, they still had a straight up mark of 5-0.

Trojans vs Fighting Illini Prediction

In this Fighting Illini vs. Fighting Illini matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Fighting Illini at -14. While we project the Fighting Illini to win 78-69, our recommendation is to bet on the Trojans for the point-spread.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 154.5 and given that our model is projecting 147 points between the teams, we like the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.