Illinois vs USC College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for Feb. 18

Big Ten action features the No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) on the road against the USC Trojans (18-7, 7-7 Big Ten) on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 10 p.m. ET.

Before you place your bet on this matchup at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Illinois vs. USC Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Wednesday, February 18, 2026
• Game time: 10 p.m. ET
• TV channel: Big Ten Network
• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Arena: Galen Center

Illinois vs. USC Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Illinois win (65.1%)

Illinois is a 9.5-point favorite against USC on Wednesday and the over/under has been set at 151.5 points. Here are some betting insights and trends before making an informed wager on the contest.

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Illinois vs. USC: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Illinois is 16-10-0 ATS this season.
• USC has put together a 13-11-0 record against the spread this season.
• Illinois covers the spread when it is a 9.5-point favorite or more 58.8% of the time. That's more often than USC covers as an underdog of 9.5 or more (33.3%).
• The Fighting Illini have done a better job covering the spread when playing on the road (5-2-0) than they have in home games (9-6-0).
• This season, the Trojans are 6-5-0 at home against the spread (.545 winning percentage). Away, they are 5-4-0 ATS (.556).
• Illinois has beaten the spread nine times in 15 conference games.
• Against the spread in Big Ten play, USC is 8-6-0 this year.

Illinois vs. USC: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Illinois has won in 14, or 82.4%, of the 17 contests it has been named as the moneyline favorite in this year.
• This year, the Fighting Illini have won 11 of 13 games when listed as at least -490 or better on the moneyline.
• USC has won three of the eight games it was the underdog on the moneyline this season (37.5%).
• The Trojans have played in three games as a moneyline underdog with odds of +365 or longer without a win.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Illinois has a 83.1% chance of walking away with the win.

Illinois vs. USC Head-to-Head Comparison

• Illinois' +416 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 16 points per game) is a result of scoring 84.2 points per game (31st in college basketball) while giving up 68.2 per contest (50th in college basketball).
• Illinois' leading scorer, Keaton Wagler, is 74th in the nation averaging 18.5 points per game.
• USC outscores opponents by 5.5 points per game (posting 81.3 points per game, 72nd in college basketball, and giving up 75.8 per contest, 233rd in college basketball) and has a +136 scoring differential.
• Chad Baker-Mazara's team-leading 18.3 points per game rank him 82nd in college basketball.
• The Fighting Illini prevail in the rebound battle by an average of 10.3 boards. They are collecting 38.3 rebounds per game (sixth in college basketball) compared to their opponents' 28 per outing.
• David Mirkovic averages eight rebounds per game (ranking 71st in college basketball) to lead the Fighting Illini.
• The Trojans win the rebound battle by 3.9 boards on average. They collect 33.7 rebounds per game, 99th in college basketball, while their opponents grab 29.8.
• Jacob Cofie leads the Trojans with 7.2 rebounds per game (129th in college basketball).
• Illinois averages 109.6 points per 100 possessions on offense (eighth in college basketball), and allows 88.8 points per 100 possessions (48th in college basketball).
• The Trojans rank 140th in college basketball with 99.3 points scored per 100 possessions, and 127th defensively with 92.6 points conceded per 100 possessions.

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