Nebraska Cornhuskers vs USC Trojans Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our USC vs Nebraska NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Lincoln.

USC vs Nebraska Prediction

The Trojans and Cornhuskers are set to face off at 9:00 ET on BTN. The Cornhuskers will host the game at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 145.5 points, and Nebraska is favored by -4.5 to win at home against USC.

USC vs. Nebraska Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: USC Trojans at Nebraska Cornhuskers
Where: Lincoln at Pinnacle Bank Arena
Date: Wednesday, January 22nd
Betting Odds NEBR -4.5, USC +165 | NEBR -202 O/U 145.5

Trojans Preview: Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog USC?

The Trojans dropped to 11-7 on the season after an 84-69 home loss to Wisconsin on Saturday. USC entered the game as -1.5 point favorites but failed to cover the spread. The total points of 153 narrowly exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 151.5.

USC struggled early, trailing 42-27 at halftime. While they managed to score 42 points in the 2nd half, they couldn’t make up ground as they allowed 42 points to Wisconsin in the same period.

Trojans Offense Breakdown

USC's offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 49.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 54.7%. They connected on 6 of 15 three-point attempts, shooting 40% from deep, and went 11 for 17 from the free-throw line, hitting 64.7% of their foul shots. The Trojans grabbed 7 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists as a team.

John Blackwell led the way with 28 points, shooting 62.5% from the field, though he struggled from three, hitting just 2 of 7 attempts. Saint Thomas added 19 points, knocking down 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, while Max Klesmit contributed 18 points, despite shooting just 22.2% from three-point range.

Trojans Team Defense

USC's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 84 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to hit 52% of their two-point shots, going 20/38 inside the arc.

From three-point range, USC's opponents shot 40%, making 6 of 15 attempts. The Trojans also sent them to the free-throw line 17 times, where they converted 11 free throws for 64%.

Cornhuskers Preview: Are Nebraska Ready for a Home Win?

Nebraska Cornhuskers Recent Game/Games

Nebraska fell to 12-6 on the season after a 69-66 road loss to Maryland on Sunday. Despite being +9.5 point underdogs, the Cornhuskers kept the game close and covered the spread.

Trailing 37-35 at halftime, Nebraska scored 31 points in the second half while allowing 32. The game’s total points of 135 fell short of the 146.5 O/U line.

Cornhuskers Offense Breakdown

Nebraska's offense put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 46.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 51.7%. They connected on 6 of 16 threes, hitting 37.5%, while their free-throw shooting was just 54.5% (6/11). The Cornhuskers grabbed 9 offensive rebounds and dished out 15 assists as a team.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie led the way with 22 points, hitting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc and finishing 8 of 15 overall. Andrew Morgan added 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting, and Rodney Rice contributed 15 points, despite shooting just 2 of 7 from three.

Cornhuskers Team Defense

Despite Nebraska giving up 69 points, their opponent shot 44% from the field, hitting 26 of 58 attempts. Inside the arc, they made 16 of 33 shots, good for 48%.

From three-point range, Nebraska's defense allowed 10 threes on 25 attempts, a 40% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the line 12 times, where they converted 7 free throws, shooting 58%. Nebraska gave up 8 offensive rebounds.

Trojans vs Cornhuskers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, USC has averaged 78 points per game while allowing 71. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
In their last ten games at home, the Cornhuskers have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 5-5 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 72 points per game in these contests.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Trojans have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
The Cornhuskers have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.