The USC Trojans take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on BTN.
Ohio State is favored by 7 points on the spread with a moneyline of -340. The total is set at 150.5 points.
Here’s my USC vs. Ohio State predictions and college basketball picks for February 11, 2026.
USC vs Ohio State Prediction
My Pick: Ohio State -7 (Play to -8.5 if Baker-Mazara is Out)
My USC vs Ohio State best bet is on the Buckeyes 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.
USC vs. Ohio State Odds
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -110 | 150.5 -110 / -110 | +270 |
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -110 | 150.5 -110 / -110 | -340 |
- USC vs Ohio State spread: Ohio State -7
- USC vs Ohio State over/under: 150.5 points
- USC vs Ohio State moneyline: USC +270, Ohio State -340
USC vs Ohio State College Basketball Betting Preview
USC Basketball
The Trojans were hit hard by the injury bug early on this season. They lost Rodney Rice for the season after he played in just six games, lost Amarion Dickerson after he played eight games and played without Alijah Arenas for the first 18 matchups of the season.
Arenas has been a spark for USC recently, including scoring 29 points in a win against Indiana and 24 points in a victory against Penn State, including the game-winning bucket.
However, the injury bug reared its ugly head again, as Chad Baker-Mazara went down against Indiana and hasn't played since.
USC probably shouldn't have played such a close game against Penn State (the Trojans barely won 77-75), but the loss of Baker-Mazara was definitely felt on the offensive end in that outing.
The Trojans do have a few strengths that have held up regardless of personnel issues this season. USC has the highest free-throw rate in the country (47.5%) and the 15th-best 3-point percentage defense (29.5% allowed), which should help a ton against an Ohio State team that doesn't shoot the 3 with high efficiency (164th in 3-point percentage) and fouls at a slightly below-average rate (105th in free-throw rate allowed).
Going 2-0 on this road trip will be a massive uphill battle, especially facing a Buckeyes squad coming off a rough home loss to rival Michigan over the weekend.
If Baker-Mazara plays (he's considered day-to-day), that would greatly increase USC's chances of pulling off the upset.
Ohio State Basketball
The Buckeyes are in a prime spot for a bounce-back game. After losing 82-61 to Michigan at home and falling to 0-7 in Quad 1 games, Ohio State must quickly turn its attention to this home tilt with USC.
After alternating between wins and losses throughout most of January and the early portion of February, the Buckeyes can't afford to lose at home to fellow bubble team USC.
A key player to watch in this matchup for Ohio State is John Mobley Jr. After scoring 22+ points in four straight games in late January, he's put up point totals of nine, 15 and four in the three most recent games.
The Buckeyes will need Mobley to play a lot better to beat good teams, and this game will be a whole lot more manageable if star Bruce Thornton can have Mobley or Devin Royal step up as auxiliary scorers.
Despite some recent struggles as a team and the general lack of production against better squads this season, Ohio State is rightfully favored by a solid margin in this matchup and should be able to come up with a victory if it can play a strong game.
Besides, the Buckeyes haven't struggled much at all when favored, especially at home.
USC vs. Ohio State Betting Analysis
The only part of this game that's still in flux is just how wide the spread will be.
With Baker-Mazara playing, it should hover around five or six points, but if he doesn't play, it might balloon to eight or nine.
Regardless, the Buckeyes haven't lost consecutive games at any point this season, while USC has barely been getting by some of the bottom-tier teams in the conference recently.
Ohio State needs to bounce back in this game, and I think the Buckeyes will do just that by securing a commanding victory.
My Pick: Ohio State -7 (Play to -8.5 if Baker-Mazara is Out)
