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USC’s 2025-26 season is hard to judge because the Trojans rarely had their full roster on the floor.

Eric Musselman’s team started 6-0 and won the Maui Invitational, then lost Rodney Rice to a season-ending shoulder injury. Alijah Arenas didn’t make his debut until mid-January after knee surgery. The Trojans finished 18-14 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten play, missing the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season.

This year looks much different on paper. Rice and Arenas are both back and healthy, Jacob Cofie returns in the frontcourt, and Musselman added one of the country’s top recruiting classes, led by five-star forward Christian Collins. He also went heavy in the transfer portal, bringing in seven new pieces, including Georgetown guard KJ Lewis and UConn center Eric Reibe.

The talent is there for a big jump. The question is whether USC can stay healthy long enough to show it.

We break down USC’s 2026-27 odds, futures, win total prediction, and the best sportsbook promos ahead of the season. Plus, new users can bet $5 on college basketball futures and get $150 in Bonus Bets at DraftKings Sportsbook.

MORE: Complete guide to betting on futures

USC Trojans odds for the 2026-27 season

Where to bet on the USC Trojans

Here are some of the current sportsbook welcome offers to consider when comparing legal betting sites. Promotions change frequently and depend on state eligibility.

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USC Trojans Big Ten win total prediction

USC needs a 12-8 record in conference play to cash this, which is a big jump from last season. Still, I think the market is putting too much weight on a 7-13 finish that came with the Trojans’ best players in street clothes.

Rice looked like one of the best guards in the country before he got hurt. He averaged 20.3 points and six assists over those first six games and recorded the second triple-double in program history against Illinois State. He was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team this fall.

Pair him with Arenas and Lewis, and USC has a backcourt that can hang with just about anyone in the league.

The home schedule helps, too. USC gets 10 Big Ten games at Galen Center, including Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and UCLA.

The danger zone comes early. USC opens the new year with four straight road games at Purdue, Indiana, Maryland, and Rutgers, and a 1-3 stretch there would put them behind quickly.

That said, getting plus money on a team that’s significantly more talented than last year is a price I’m happy to take.

USC Trojans best futures bets for 2026-27

This is a pass for me.

Illinois is a heavy favorite at +144, and Michigan State, Nebraska, and Michigan all sit well ahead of USC on the board. Winning a 20-game Big Ten schedule takes depth, health, and consistency, and USC has struggled to show all three under Musselman.

The team also has a lot of roster turnover to work through. The Trojans have seven transfers and three freshmen who need to fit around their returners, and an 88-70 exhibition loss to North Carolina earlier this month reminds us this group is still a work in progress.

The ceiling is real, and the frontcourt gives USC something most Big Ten teams don’t have. Reibe, a 7-foot-1 sophomore, blocked 29 shots as a reserve at UConn, and USC is the only team in the conference with three true 7-footers.

At +2600, the implied probability is about 3.7%. I’d rather back USC to finish in the top half of the league through the win total than try to beat out Illinois for the title.

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USC National Championship odds

USC has enough talent to make noise in March, but this price doesn’t move me.

The Trojans haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since their 2021 Elite Eight run, and Musselman hasn’t yet reached the tournament at USC. Before I’m willing to back them to win six straight games in March, I want to see this group prove they can win consistently in the Big Ten.

Health is the other concern. Hunkin-Claytor was working back from turf toe this summer, and Reibe was dealing with his own injury. After how last season played out, that’s hard to ignore.

The upside is easy to see. A healthy Rice, Arenas, Lewis and Cofie, plus elite size and a top recruiting class, could make USC one of the most dangerous teams in the field.

At 44-1, though, I’m content to wait. If USC handles the early Big Ten road swing, the number will shorten, but I’d rather pay that price for a team that’s proven it can stay on the floor.

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USC Wooden Award Candidate 

Collins is the type of freshman who can stuff a box score, which is what gives this longshot some appeal.

The 6-foot-9 forward was a McDonald’s All-American and the top player in California, choosing USC over Kentucky and Louisville. He was dominant as a senior at St. John Bosco, averaging 26.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Musselman has talked up his versatility, calling him a true positionless player who can guard multiple spots. That matters in an offense that likes to switch and play fast.

The biggest obstacle is touches. Rice and Arenas will have the ball in their hands a lot, and Lewis averaged 14.9 points as Georgetown’s leading scorer before his injury. Collins may not have the usage of a typical Wooden contender.

Freshman forwards also tend to need time to adjust to the physicality of the Big Ten, so this one will take a while to get going.

Still, if Collins plays like a top-five recruit and USC stacks wins, he’ll get plenty of national attention in Los Angeles. At +7400, it’s worth a small sprinkle.

MORE: Beginner’s guide to teaser betting

USC schedule analysis

USC opens the regular season Nov. 2 against Milwaukee at Galen Center, then faces Wichita State in the Lake Tahoe Classic on Nov. 8 and visits Cal three days later.

Thanksgiving week brings two games in Palm Desert, with South Carolina on Nov. 25 and Utah State the next day.

Big Ten play begins early, with Washington visiting Los Angeles on Dec. 2 and a trip to Oregon on Dec. 5. USC then faces Texas Tech in Fort Worth on Dec. 13, a strong measuring stick before the new year.

The toughest stretch of the season arrives right after Christmas. USC visits Purdue on Dec. 30, then travels to Indiana, Maryland, and Rutgers in nine days. That’s four straight Big Ten road games, and it will go a long way toward deciding the win total.

Things open up after that. The Trojans host Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Michigan in January before road games at Illinois and Northwestern.

February is far friendlier. USC plays five of its seven games that month at home, including UCLA on Feb. 13 and Ohio State on Feb. 20.

The regular season ends with home games against Oregon and Penn State, followed by a March 6 trip across town to face UCLA.

From a betting standpoint, I’d circle early January. If USC can split those four road games and protect Galen Center, the over looks great.

This team has the talent to get Musselman back to the NCAA Tournament finally. Staying healthy is the key to making that happen.