The USC Trojans take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, NE. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Nebraska is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -205. The total is set at 145.5 points.
Here are my USC vs. Nebraska predictions and college basketball picks for January 22, 2025.
USC vs Nebraska Prediction
My Pick: Nebraska -7 or Better
My USC vs Nebraska best bet is on the Cornhuskers spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
USC vs Nebraska Odds
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -112 | 145.5 -112 / -108 | +170 |
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -108 | 145.5 -112 / -108 | -205 |
- USC vs Nebraska spread: Nebraska -4.5
- USC vs Nebraska over/under: 145.5 points
- USC vs Nebraska moneyline: Nebraska -205, USC +170
- USC vs Nebraska best bet: Nebraska -7 or Better
Spread
I'm laying seven or better with the Huskers.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm passing on the over/under.
My Pick: Nebraska -7 or Better
USC vs Nebraska College Basketball Betting Preview
I think this is a good buy-low opportunity on Nebraska, which has to eventually win a game after four consecutive losses, including two that came by one possession and another that went to overtime.
Not to mention, those four opponents shot a combined 58-for-122 (48%) from 3, so I’d imagine some positive regression will hit the Huskers soon enough.
USC has been playing much better lately, especially on the offensive side of the rock. But I don’t want to get too high on the Trojans, especially after they shot the lights out against a lifeless Iowa defense and took down a short-handed Illinois team that was without point guard Kasparas Jakucionis.
More importantly, I hate this matchup for USC.
The Trojans are an interior-based offense, scoring 35 paint points per game (per CBB Analytics) while ranking last in the Big Ten in 3-point rate (per KenPom).
They love creating off the dribble with their trio of Desmond Claude, Wesley Yates III and Saint Thomas, and they love cutting off those actions with their wings and forwards. They’ll run the offense through the post with typical posting sets alongside inside-out dribble handoff sets. And they adore shooting in the mid-range.
But Fred Hoiberg’s squad packs it in more than any college basketball defense. The Cornhuskers’ MO is complete and total post-and-paint denial, which explains why they rank in the top 20 nationally in paint points per game allowed (per CBB Analytics) and in the bottom 10 in 3-point rate allowed (per KenPom).
You have to beat the Huskers over the top and with efficient catch-and-shoot creation, which the Trojans won’t do. It’ll be tough for them to run their offense against Nebraska’s stout interior set defense.
On the other end of the court, Nebraska will run its secondary, motion-based, inside-out dribble handoff-based offense.
While USC’s roster is filled with versatile, switchable defenders, the Trojans have surprisingly graded out poorly when defending secondary actions. They don't have a great overall defense, as they’ve been gashed at the rim and continue to allow too many 3s.
So, I think the Cornhuskers can run their stuff here. They can be a little too Brice Williams-reliant at times, but he’s a more efficient scorer at home, and he’s been very efficient in ball-screen dribble creation this year, which could be valuable against a USC defense that can’t stay in front of the dribble.
Ultimately, behind Williams and a strong defensive effort, I’m banking on Nebraska snapping its four-game losing streak convincingly.
