Illinois Fighting Illini vs USC Trojans Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/18/2026

 

Game Time: 10:00 pm ET, Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Venue:  Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA 

Where to Watch:  Big Ten Network

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Illinois -8.5, USC +8.5; Over/Under:  153.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Illinois -8.5, USC +8.5; Over/Under:  153.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Illinois -8.5, USC +8.5; Over/Under:  153.5 points

Illinois Fighting Illini:  21-5 (12-3) (2nd place, Big Ten)

USC Trojans:  18-7 (7-7) (11th place, Big Ten)

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Illinois Fighting Illini:  3-2  last 5

USC Trojans:  3-2  last 5

Illinois is entering this game with a 21-5 record overall, a 12-3 record in conference games, and they are 6-1 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Indiana Hoosiers in their last game. David Mirković led the team in points in that game with 25 while Keaton Wagler was next on the team with 18. David Mirković and Keaton Wagler each led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Ben Humrichous led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 43.9% from the field, 22.6% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 84.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 68.2 PPG against them. Illinois has an ATS record of 16-10 this season and their O/U record is 10-16.

USC is entering this game with an 18-7 record overall, a 7-7 conference record, and they are 9-3 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes in their last game. Alijah Arenas led the team in points in that game with 25 while Kam Woods was next on the team with 14. Alijah Arenas and Kam Woods each led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Ezra Ausar led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 41.9% from the field, 35.3% from 3-point range, and 72.7% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 81.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 75.8 PPG against them. USC has an ATS record of 13-11 this season and their O/U record is 13-11.

The current betting odds have USC listed as an 8.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. USC has looked good in their games this season with their 18-7 record overall and their 7-7 conference record which has them right in the middle of the Big Ten. They have looked really good on their home court too with their 9-3 home record this season. Meanwhile, Illinois has looked great in their games this season with their 21-5 record overall and their 12-3 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big Ten. They have been a great road team too with their 6-1 road record this year. Illinois has looked good lately as they are 3-2 in their last 5 games and they are off a win over Indiana in their last one. They have some really good wins under their belt in the Big Ten, but they haven't been blowing a lot of their opponents out lately, even when they play a weaker team. This isn't going to be an easy game for them on the West coast either with this game having a really late start time. USC is off a loss to Ohio State in their last one, but they haven't looked bad lately as they are 3-2 in their last 5 games too. They also had the weekend off so they have some rest on their side here. USC hasn't been getting blown out in a lot of their games lately either and they have been able to go toe-to-toe with some stronger teams too. USC doesn't have the talent to win this game outright, but they are going to put up a good fight at home and will keep this a tighter game. The best way to place a bet here is on USC to cover the spread in this game. 

Illinois USC Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Wednesday, February 18, 2026 (10:00 pm ET start time) is Illinois 80 USC 73.

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Illinois Fighting Illini: 16-10 ATS in all games. 7-4 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 8-3 ATS when playing only their 2nd game in 8 days. 8-4 UNDER as a favorite of 10 or more points. 9-5 UNDER after playing a home game.

USC Trojans: 2-6 ATS versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game. 15-22 ATS versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 6-10 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 80%). 6-1 UNDER versus teams who are called for 17 or less fouls/game.

Illinois Fighting Illini:  A. Stojakovic (G) Questionable - Ankle. J. Jakstys (C) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Rodgers (G-F) Questionable - Knee.

USC Trojans:  C. Baker-Mazara (G-F) Questionable - Knee. A. Dickerson (G-F) Out - Hip. R. Rice (G) Out - Shoulder.

"(Lamar) Wilkerson is a pro. Even though he got 21, I thought we were very good. Obviously, the insertion of Kylan Boswell had some impact on that. I thought him and Ben (Humrichous) were tremendous in that area." - Brad Underwood after his team’s win against Indiana in their last game. 

"We didn't close out the last four minutes of the game. When you're on the road, you have to close out the game at the defensive end, and tonight, we did not do that at all. We fouled way too much, and you know you just can't win games with that." - Earl Boykins after his team’s loss against OSU in their last game. 

K. Boswell 

T. Ivisic 

D. Mirkovic 

A. Stojakovic 

K. Wagler

A. Arenas 

E. Ausar 

C. Baker-Mazara 

J. Cofie 

K. Woods

PPG: Keaton Wagler (18.5)

APG: Keaton Wagler (4.3)

Reb/G: David Mirkovic (8)

PPG: Rodney Rice (20.3)

APG: Rodney Rice (6)

Reb/G: Jacob Cofie (7.2)

Coaches:

Illinois Fighting Illini: Brad Underwood (9th season)

USC Trojans: Eric Musselman (2nd season)