USC Trojans vs Iowa Hawkeyes Preview & Prediction – 1/28/2026

The USC Trojans travel to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday night, in a game that has significant implications for both teams’ Big Ten seasons. Both teams have been mediocre in the Big Ten so far this season, but one of them will get an important win here as they look to climb the conference standings. Find out who I think that will be below, as I make my USC vs Iowa prediction in college basketball.

Our USC vs Iowa Pick

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: USC Trojans @ Iowa Hawkeyes
• Date & Time: January 28, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
• Broadcast: Big Ten Network

Key Storylines

• Iowa Hawkeyes have compiled a 14-5 record and are strong at home with a 10-1 record at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The defense of the Hawkeyes has been a strength, holding teams to one of the lowest scoring averages in the country at 62.4 points per game. Iowa also recently posted a 68-62 victory over Rutgers.
• USC (15-5) is coming off a close 73-71 win over Wisconsin, led by a 29-point effort from Chad Baker-Mazara. That offensive output was a boost for the Trojans, but USC is still working through Big Ten inconsistency with a 4-5 conference record. USC’s offense is potent on many nights, but its defense has struggled at times, giving up 75.5 points per game.
• USC’s Rodney Rice is out for the season due to a shoulder injury, leaving even more scoring responsibility on players like Baker-Mazara and Ezra Ausar. Iowa has no major reported injuries as it prepares for this home tilt.
• Iowa comes into this matchup with two straight wins. They defeated Rutgers at home and Indiana on the road during that stretch. They will try to grab a third straight win here, while USC looks for a second straight victory.

Head-to-Head & Betting Trends

• USC won the lone meeting all-time between these teams last season in California.
• The Trojans are 10-9 against the spread going into this matchup.
• The Hawkeyes are 13-6 against the spread entering Wednesday night.
• The Hawkeyes have gone over the total in 10 of their first 19 games.
• The under is 10-9 in USC’s games this year.

USC vs Iowa Model Projection

Final Thoughts

Jay Sanin

Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.