How to Watch USC Trojans vs. Illinois Fighting Illini: Preview, Betting Odds, TV Channel

The USC Trojans (9-6, 1-3 Big Ten) continue their Midwest road trip as they face one of its toughest challenges this season against the No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini (12-3, 4-1) in Champaign. It will be the 10th all-time meeting between these two programs on the court, the Trojans lead the series 6-3. Tip-off on Saturday, Jan. 11 is set for 9:00 a.m. PT at State Farm Center and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

USC looks to bounce back after falling to Indiana 82-69 in Bloomington. The game was tied at 38 heading into halftime, but the Hoosiers pulled away in the second half to remain undefeated at home this season. Four players reached double figures against Indiana, transfer guards Wesley Yates III (18) and Desmond Claude (15) led the Trojans in scoring for the second consecutive game.

Dec 18, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Desmond Claude (1) reacts in the first half against the Cal State Northridge Matadors at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I think we have a lot of players that have transferred up from the mid-majors, so they are going through some stuff, and our leading scorer is a freshman,” said USC coach Eric Musselman. “It's my first year in the job and it's my job to develop a player like Wesley. There are going to be a lot of learning curves when you use a player like Yates for 38 minutes in his fourth Big Ten game."

"We want to win games, obviously, but I think anyone that watches us can say we compete. We go through some offensive dry spells that hurt us. We thought that we had an opportunity to beat Oregon and Michigan. We played pretty well for 25 minutes tonight, whether we ran out of gas or didn't get a whole lot of production from our bench, but I knew in year one that culture would be important,” Musselman said.

MORE: Can Pete Carroll Save Chicago Bears' Front Office? Aggressive Head Coach Search

MORE: USC Trojans' Matt Leinart Sounds Off On College Football Playoff Hate

MORE: USC Trojans Revamped Quarterback Room: Jayden Maiava, Husan Longstreet, Sam Huard

Illinois has won five in a row, including a blowout 109-77 win over then No. 9 Oregon since they fell to No. 1 Tennessee at the buzzer on Dec. 14. The Fighting Illini boast one of country’s most consistent lineups. Five players averaging double-digit points this year, lead by Kasparas Jakucionis as he averages 16.4 points per game. However the sensational freshman is dealing with a left forearm injury, which caused him to miss the Illinois matchup against Penn State on Wednesday. Jakucionis leads the team in points, assists, and steals.

In his absence, the Fighting Illini had a number of players step up. Three players finished the night with at least 20 points as they beat the Nittany Lions 91-52. Forward Ben Humrichous led the relay with a season-high 21 points and added nine rebounds. Forward Morez Johnson Jr. finished the night with a career-best 20 points and added 11 rebounds.

“Kasparas not being able to go, I thought our guys did a nice job of stepping into the moment," said Illinois coach Brad Underwood. "Defensively, I thought we were really sound."

Illinois is a 14-point favorite over the Trojans. The over/under for the game is 154.5.

MORE: USC Trojans Sign Transfer Kevin Longstreet From Texas A&M, QB Husan's Brother

MORE: USC Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley Visits 5-Star Brandon Arrington at Mount Miguel

MORE: USC Trojans Land Transfer Portal Quarterback Sam Huard, Former 5-Star Recruit

MORE: USC Trojans Land Transfer Portal Running Back Waymond Jordan Over Ole Miss