It’s a battle of Big Ten programs on the hardwood as a pair of squads looking to pick up a victory collide in the Land of Lincoln. The USC Trojans are on the road as they make the trip to take on the #13 Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday afternoon. USC comes in off an 82-69 road loss to Indiana in their previous game Wednesday night, failing to cover the line as a six-point underdog. Illinois clobbered Penn State 91-52 at home Wednesday night, easily covering the line as a seven-point favorite. In the all-time series between the teams, the Trojans own a 6-3 advantage but the Fighting Illini have won the last three meetings. That includes a 94-64 triumph in the most recent meeting on November 19, 2012, in the Maui Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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Who will win this matchup? Read more about this USC vs. Illinois prediction!
USC Trying to Bounce Back
USC suffered a second straight defeat as they were knocked off on the road by Indiana in their previous contest. The Trojans dropped to 9-6 overall and stand 1-3 in the Big Ten on the season as they take the floor here. Against Indiana, USC led by 10 just eight minutes into the game only to find themselves even at 38 at the half. The Trojans gave up an 11-3 run to start the second half to trail 49-41 and never got closer than six the rest of the way. USC shot 41% from the floor, including six of 26 from three-point range, and lost the rebounding battle 40-33 in the game. Wesley Yates III led the Trojans with 18 points in the loss.
The Trojans average 75.7 points per game on the season, putting them 171st in the nation in scoring offense. USC comes into this one grabbing 32.1 rebounds a night while they dish out 16 assists a night. The Trojans are above average on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 153rd by allowing 70.4 points per game this season. Terrance Williams II is one of three players in double figures as he puts up 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds a game this season. Desmond Claude (14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists) and Josh Cohen (9.3 points, 2.7 boards) provide solid secondary scoring. Chibuzo Agbo (12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, Wesley Yates III (9.7 points), Saint Thomas, Matt Knowling, Rashaun Agee, Clark Slajchert, Kevin Patton Jr. and Isaiah Elohim are all averaging solid minutes for coach Eric Musselman this season. USC shoots 47% from the field as a team this season, putting them 87th in the nation. The Trojans drill 6.3 three-pointers per game while shooting 33.2% from beyond the arc. USC is above average at the line as they shoot 75.2% at the stripe as a team this season, which is 72nd in Division I.
Williams II (wrist) last played on December 4 and is unlikely to suit up here. Knowling (undisclosed) last played on December 22 and is questionable here.
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Fighting Illini Shooting to Add Another Win to Resume
Illinois cruised to a one-sided win over Penn State for their fifth straight victory. The Fighting Illini improved to 12-3 overall and stand 4-1 in the Big Ten on the season. Against Penn State, Illinois trailed by six with 15:28 to play in the first half before outscoring the Nittany Lions 40-10 the rest of the half to take a 45-21 lead at intermission. The Fighting Illini led by as many as 39 in the second half en route to the victory. Illinois shot 44.2% from the field, including 10 of 31 from three-point range, and dominated the boards by a 57-32 margin. Ben Humichrous led Illinois with 21 points and nine rebounds in the win.
The Fighting Illini puts up an average of 87.9 points per game on the season, which puts them 6th in the nation in scoring offense. Illinois collects 45.9 rebounds per contest (1st in the nation) while handing out 15.5 assists per game. The Fighting Illini is above average defensively, ranking 57th in the nation by allowing 66.2 points per game. Tomislav Ivisic is second on the team with an average of 13.1 points plus nine rebounds per contest this season. Will Riley (11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds), Kasparas Jakucionis (16.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists) and Ben Humichrous (nine points) provide solid secondary scoring options. Kylan Boswell, Tre White (11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds), Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Morez Johnson Jr., Corey Booth and Jake Davis are other contributors for coach Brad Underwood. Illinois shoots 45.9% from the floor as a team. The Fighting Illini connects on 10.7 three-pointers a game (17th) while shooting 33.9% from long range. Illinois is above average at the free throw line this season as they convert 75.4% of their opportunities, putting them 69th in the nation.
Jakucionis (forearm) missed Wednesday’s game and is questionable here.
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Best Bets for Southern California (USC) vs. Illinois
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
USC has struggled with two straight losses with a common denominator in those contests. Both Indiana and Michigan have a size advantage on the Trojans, who have only Cohen, averaging 17 minutes a game, taller than 6’8 in their rotation. Ivisic is 7’1 for Illinois and is a force in the low block. USC isn’t going to be able to hold him in check, along with Humichrous at 6’9, Riley at 6’8 and White at 6’7 is going to be a tough task. We just saw Illinois dismantle Penn State and they are 8-1 at home while USC has played just two true road games, where they are 1-1 on the year. Look for the Fighting Illini to put this one away as they pile up points against the Trojans to earn the win.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
We’ve seen Illinois pile up points this season as they are 6th in the nation in scoring offense on the year. The Fighting Illini are 19th in scoring offense, 64th in effective field goal percentage (54.2%), 74th in turnover percentage (15.9%), 22nd in offensive rebounding percentage (36.9%), 17th in threes per game and 47th in two-point shooting (57.3%) this season. Illinois loves to run, ranking 17th in adjusted tempo with 73 possessions a night. USC is 101st in offensive efficiency, 111th in effective field goal percentage (52.6%) and 94th in turnover percentage (16.3%) this season. Look for Illinois to score 80-plus points to help push this game over the total.
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