Indiana vs. USC Picks and Predictions, Tuesday, January 3rd, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Indiana Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten) and the USC Trojans (16-6, 5-6) battle it out in the middle of the Big Ten in this Indiana vs. USC prediction. Indiana just won on the road in double overtime against UCLA 98-97, winning outright as 4-point road underdogs. USC just won a home game against Rutgers 78-75, but failed to cover as 12-point favorites. See below for our Indiana vs. USC prediction, and keep up with all of our best NCAAB Betting Picks!
Indiana Wins Three Straight
It has been an up and down season for the Indiana Hoosiers on the basketball court this season, they recently lost four straight games, but followed that up by winning each of their last three coming into this one. The recent win streak included a strong win over #12 Purdue, while also winning on the road at Rutgers and UCLA. In their recent double-overtime win over UCLA, the Hoosiers were led by Nick Dorn with 26 points in the victory.
Dorn is only averaging 9.7 PPG this season, but exploded in the victory over UCLA. He is a 6'7 junior forward who played each of his last two seasons at Elon, and is looking to make a name for himself in the Big Ten. Their top scorer this season has been Lamar Wilkerson, he is a 6'6 senior wing getting 19.6 PPG. Wilkerson was a big scorer at Sam Houston over the past three seasons, scoring over 20.0 PPG last year as a junior, and was a high profile landing for the Hoosiers in the offseason. Their top frontcourt player is Tucker DeVries, he is scoring 14.1 PPG as a 6'7 senior power forward.\
Indiana is currently ranked 33rd overall out of 365 Division I teams according to KenPom. They are 30th in offensive efficiency and 48th in defensive efficiency. The Hoosiers play at a slow pace, ranking only 207th in the nation in tempo.
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Trojans are Stuck in the Middle
The USC Trojans plan on being one of the top programs in the Big Ten in both football and basketball, but they are not there yet, and are stuck in the middle of the conference standings in this hoops season so far. The Trojans are just 5-6 in league play, and will need to improve their record to improve their chances with the selection committee for March Madness. In their last game, the Trojans got 21 points from Ezra Ausar in their tight win over Rutgers.
Ausar is their 6'9 senior forward who transferred into the program for his final season. He played two seasons at East Carolina, then moved to Utah for a year, before looking to finish out his career with the Trojans. He is a strong power forward who is averaging 16.1 PPG and 6.0 RPG coming into this matchup. Rodney Rice was a big time scorer for USC this season, but a shoulder injury knocked him out for the year after averaging over 20 points per game in his first six outings of the year. This leaves Chad Baker-Mazara as their top scorer, the 6'7 senior played at Auburn last season and is getting 18.8 PPG this year.
USC is ranked 50th overall according to KenPom. They are 73rd in offensive efficiency and 46th in defensive efficiency. The Trojans play at a much faster pace than the Hoosiers, ranking 67th in the nation in pace of play.
Key Injuries for Indiana vs. USC:
Indiana
- None listed
USC
- Out: G Rodney Rice (20.3 PPG)
Indiana vs. USC Picks and Predictions
Spread pick for Indiana vs. USC
- USC -1 (5 units)
The Trojans are currently only laying one point in this game, which will not be a problem as they secure a win against the Hoosiers in this one. USC has adjusted to life without Rodney Rice, he was a big time scorer in their first six games, but the team has been rebuilt over their last ten and are ready to compete for a tourney bid. Baker-Mazara was on an Auburn team that was ranked top in the nation for most of the season last year, he will help USC in this one, creating mismatches on the perimeter. USC is home for their second game in a row, while Indiana is stuck out West.
Take USC to win and cover.
Over/Under Pick for Indiana vs. USC
- Over 152.5 (4 units)
The USC Trojans like to play fast, they are 67th in the nation in pace of play out of 365 Division I teams, and will look to play even faster here. Indiana is on a West Coast trip, playing their second game in California in only a few days, USC will look to tire them out by playing at a quick pace. Indiana is better in offensive efficiency than they are in defensive, signaling a team that is ready to hit another over. USC has gone over in each of their last two games, and will push the pace to another over here.
Take the over.
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