The Maryland Terrapins take on the USC Trojans in Los Angeles, CA. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
USC is favored by 9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -525. The total is set at 148.5 points.
Here’s my Maryland vs. USC predictions and college basketball picks for January 13, 2026.
Maryland vs USC Prediction
My Pick: Maryland +9.5 (Play to +8.5)
My Maryland vs USC best bet is on the Terrapins to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Maryland vs. USC Odds
| Maryland Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -110 | 148.5 -110o / -110u | +390 |
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 148.5 -110o / -110u | -525 |
- Maryland vs USC spread: USC -9.5
- Maryland vs USC over/under: 148.5 points
- Maryland vs USC moneyline: Maryland +390, USC -525
Maryland vs USC College Basketball Betting Preview
Maryland Basketball
Maryland has had a rough season in conference play. The Terrapins are still winless after squandering a perfect opportunity to get on the board against a struggling Oregon team at home.
In its last game against UCLA, Maryland scored just two points in the final 9:03 of the first half, leading to a 17-point deficit at halftime.
Despite playing much better in the second half and actually out-scoring the Bruins 34-29, Maryland never stood a chance, falling 67-55.
However, the Terrapins have shown the ability to bounce back quickly after rough losses this season, rattling off four straight wins after their home defeat to Georgetown in the second game of the season and playing a ranked Virginia team close on the road after back-to-back conference losses in December.
Maryland might be the 123rd-ranked team in the country on KenPom, but defense hasn’t been its issue this season.
The Terrapins’ 88th-ranked defense has been a relative bright spot and hasn’t taken much of a step back, even while they deal with the loss of physical big man Pharrel Payne.
Maryland will attempt to keep this game low-scoring and close late, aiming to steal an elusive road Big Ten victory.
USC Basketball
USC started the season on fire, going 8-0 and winning the Maui Invitational along the way.
But the Trojans have had their fair share of struggles since that great start.
Most recently, USC got run out of the gym by both Michigan and Michigan State. Also, even though the Trojans did win the final game of their road trip against Minnesota, it took overtime to do so.
USC will have to hop off the mat very quickly to get back on its feet and start to build some consistency in conference play.
The Trojans lack the personnel to do that. Amarion Dickerson (4.6 PPG, 3.4 RGP in 21.6 MPG) played every game during the season-opening win streak, but he hasn’t played since. Also, Rodney Rice (20.3 PPG, 6.0 APG in 33.8 MPG) is out for the season after a stellar six-game start.
Kam Woods joined USC as a midseason addition in an attempt to help mitigate the loss of Rice (a Maryland transfer), but even though he's averaging 3.3 assists per game, he's played 25.8 minutes a night and has been extremely inefficient from the field (13 FG%).
Despite their aesthetically pleasing 13-3 record, the Trojans have dropped from the 26th-ranked team on KenPom after defeating Oregon (Dickerson’s last game played) to the 49th-ranked team. That downward trend hasn’t shown signs of stopping anytime soon.
Maryland vs. USC Betting Analysis
I'm picking Maryland to cover the spread in this one.
USC is in a downward spiral, while the Terrapins — despite never looking great — have had the uncanny ability to keep games relatively close all season long.
The Trojans will attempt to push the pace a lot more than Maryland, but the Terrapins will slow the game down, forcing USC to play at its pace in a game with fewer possessions than the Trojans are comfortable with.
There's also a Bet Labs system (albeit with a small sample size due to the recency of Big Ten conference realignment) that supports picking the Terrapins to cover.
My Pick: Maryland +9.5 (Play to +8.5)
