Updated January 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.
Pick: | USC +9.5 ATS PRO |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
Score Projection: Iowa 79 – USC 72 ATS PRO
Win Probability: Iowa 78%, USC 22% ATS PRO
Iowa should be able to win this game on its home floor. With that said, I'm taking the points with the USC Trojans on the road. The Trojans are led by a player with significant Big Ten experience in Baker-Mazara, who helped them prove that they can win outright on the road as a big underdog in conference play last time out. While I don't think the Trojans will win outright again here, they should keep this game within a few possessions and cover the number.
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.
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