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

The USC Trojans men's basketball team is 13-10. USC coach Eric Musselman and his team will face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. PT. Preview, prediction, TV channel, and betting odds for the matchup at Galen Center.

Feb 7, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) celebrates a three pointer during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team is 13-10, 5-7 in Big Ten conference play. The Trojans are coming off two straight losses. The Trojans will face the 13-11 Penn State Nittany Lions on Tuesday.

How to Watch:

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team will face the Penn State Nittany Lions at 6 p.m. PT at Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. The game broadcast will be on the Big Ten Network.

Feb 7, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) celebrates a three pointer during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Betting Odds:

The USC Trojans are 4.5-point favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The moneyline for USC is -192 and the total points is 151.5.

USC vs. Penn State preview:

The USC Trojans are coming off a tough loss against the Purdue Boilermakers, 90-72. Between fouls and USC guard Desmond Claude once again unavailable, the Trojans could not put up a fight against the Boilermakers. Even USC coach Eric Musselman was faced with a technical foul against Purdue. 

Despite the loss, there were positives of the game, including USC guard Wesley Yates III scoring 22 points in the first half, the most by any USC player this season. Yates finished the game with 30 points. Aside from Yates, the Trojans struggled with shooting, with forward Jalen Shelley and guard Isaiah Elohim being the only other players to reach double digits in points. 

USC forward Saint Thomas did not score, and forward Rashaun Agee finished with just two points. Despite how the season is going, Agee spoke about Musselman on USCFootball.com’s Triple-Double Podcast.

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"You guys may see his reaction and the way he does things, but I feel like the way he gets his players to do the utmost and play harder and do the things that he wants out of the player, he has to push those buttons," Agee said. "He has to jump up and down and get us riled up because that's the type of person he is. He wants to win so bad. He's a super competitor, and that just brings out the competitiveness in the player."

That energy is what USC needs heading into the game against Penn State. The two losses also demonstrate how important it is for USC to get Claude back on the court. Claude leads the team averaging 16.2 points per game and is one of the most consistent players on the roster. He is questionable to play against Penn State. 

The USC Trojans are 10-5 when playing at home. Though their odds at the postseason are starting to dwindle, the Trojans are still looking to finish out the season strong. The Trojans are averaging 76.4 points this season.

Jan 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the UCLA Bruins in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Penn State Nittany Lions are 13-11 this season, 3-10 in Big Ten conference play. The Nittany Lions have won just one away game this season and are coming off five straight losses. Penn State guard Ace Baldwin Jr. leads the team averaging 13.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 1.9 steals. Forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser leads averaging 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. As a team, Penn State is averaging 80.3 points this season. 

USC vs. Penn State prediction:

The USC Trojans will get the win at home against Penn State, 75-72.

After USC’s game against Penn State, the Trojans will face the 12-12 Minnesota Golden Gophers at Galen Center on Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. PT.

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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