How to Watch USC Trojans vs. Maryland Men's Basketball: Preview, Prediction, Betting Odds

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team is 14-11, 6-8 in Big Ten conference play. The Trojans are coming off a tough loss against Minnesota. The USC Trojans will face the No. 20 Maryland Terrapins on Feb. 20.

How to Watch:

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team will face the Maryland Terrapins at 5:30 p.m. PT on Thursday at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland. The game broadcast will be on FS1.

USC Trojans Eric Musselman, Desmond Claude, Wesley Yates — Feb 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman (right) talks with guard Desmond Claude (1) and guard Wesley Yates III (6) against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Betting Odds:

The USC Trojans are 10.5-point underdogs at FanDuel Sportsbook against the Maryland Terrapins. The money line for USC is +450 and the total points are 152.5.

USC vs. Maryland preview:

The USC Trojans are coming off a tough loss against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 69-66. It was a close game until the final seconds. The Trojans led the game 66-65 with 23.2 seconds remaining, but as USC had possession of the ball, the referees blew the whistle.

It was ruled a USC turnover and then a foul to give Minnesota two free throws. The Trojans then committed another turnover and foul, ultimately leading to a Minnesota victory.

After the game, USC coach Eric Musselman had strong views about the officiating.

“I don’t want to get fined, but I just watched it,” Musselman said. “We have the ball. We clearly have the ball. It’s inbounded and we dribbled the ball several times.”

Musselman also had strong views about Minnesota coach Ben Johnson stepping on the court, leading to a whistle and turnover by the Trojans. Ultimately, while Musselman was frustrated, he understood that Minnesota still beat USC at the end of the day.

“What I am gonna complain about is someone going out on the court when we have the ball. But look, I want to be perfectly clear, they beat us,” Musselman said.

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The close score made it easier for the Golden Gophers to catch up with the fouls. Against Minnesota, USC guards Wesley Yates III and Chibuzo Agbo both led the team with 18 points. USC guard Desmond Claude scored 12 points.

A couple of players could have stepped up more with shooting. USC forward Saint Thomas scored just five points and forward Josh Cohen scored four. The Trojans must play as a unit to win more games as the season winds down.

The USC Trojans are averaging 76.6 points per game. They are led by Claude, who averages 16 points and 4.4 assists per game. USC is 3-3 during away games as they head into a hostile environment against a ranked Maryland Terrapins.

The No. 20 Maryland Terrapins are 20-6 this season, 10-5 in Big Ten conference play. Maryland has won 15 games at home, only losing once. The lone loss at home was against the No. 16 Marquette Golden Eagles on No. 15. The Terrapins are currently on a three-game win streak.

USC Trojans Desmond Claude — Feb 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Desmond Claude (1) dribbles the ball against Penn State Nittany Lions guard Freddie Dilione V (4) and forward Zach Hicks (24) in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Terrapins are averaging 83.5 points per game. Maryland center Derik Queen leads the team averaging 16 points. Forward Julian Reese leads with 9.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie averages 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals. USC will need each player to step up to take down the No. 20 team.

The USC Trojans and Maryland Terrapins have played three times in history, with Maryland getting the win all three times. The last time the two faced off was in 1990.

USC vs. Maryland prediction:

The USC Trojans will fall short against the Maryland Terrapins, 82-69.

After USC faces Maryland the Trojans will face the 13-14 Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. PT at the RAC in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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