The Fighting Illini will play the Trojans on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026. Your timezone's tip off time is 10:00 pm EST. Check local listings or your nearest streaming app for coverage.
Review our College Basketball Betting guide to learn how to bet this game.
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Table of Contents
- Matchup Stats
- Moneyline Mage
- Best Odds
- Interactive Odds Example
- Prop Bets
- Team Standings
- Futures Odds
- Team Pages
- Other Games Today
Key Matchup Stats
Looking into the second half of the 2025-26 college basketball season, Illinois and USC are set to hit the hardwood on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026. Luckily, we have some clear performance trends emerging now that each team has more than a dozen games under their belts. Use the following data to help analyze this matchup and to place an intelligent wager on its ultimate outcome.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - With the 2025-26 season in full stride, Illinois currently has a 98.67 conference power ranking, while the SportsBetting3.com conference power ranking for USC is 96.00.
- Away Illinois - Illinois starts this game with a 6-1 record as an away team, ranking them 3rd in the Big Ten Conference for away team wins.
- Home USC - USC meets Illinois boasting a 9-3 record as a home team. They currently rank 6th in the Big Ten Conference for home team wins.
- Conference Win Percentage - Illinois currently ranks 2nd (0.800) in the Big Ten Conference, with USC now standing 7th (0.500) for their conference win percentage in the 2025 Big Ten Conference for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
- Overall Win Percentage - Illinois has a 0.808 overall win percentage, with USC matching up with a 0.720 overall win percentage.
- Team Records - Illinois currently possesses 21-5 regular season overall record. Meanwhile, USC has tallied a 18-7 standing as the 2025-26 college basketball season continues to unfold.
Moneyline Mage
Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.
Hocus pocus, Illinois faces USC in a battle of basketball sorcery.
Illinois stands at 21-5 overall, while USC is at 18-7 overall. Conference records matter. Illinois leads the Big Ten at 12-3, while USC is 7-7.
Illinois is on a winning streak, while USC is on a losing streak. Review the tables below to find the best point spread, total, and moneylines for this game. You can bet on college basketball legally at BetRivers and BetMGM. We've also listed each team's futures odds and current standings below.
So grab your wands and tune in on February 18th to see who will reign supreme in this magical matchup between Illinois and USC!
Best Fighting Illini at Trojans Odds
| Underdog USC | Favorite Illinois |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
|---|---|
| Underdog USC | Favorite Illinois |
|---|---|
Matchup Odds FAQs
Illinois is a -9.5 -110 point spread favorite at BetMGM, while USC is a +9.5 -110 point spread underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 149.5 -110 points at BetMGM, which means you risk $110 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 149.5 -110 points at BetMGM, and that means you risk $110 to win $100 betting the under.
Illinois is a -500 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and USC is a +375 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
College Basketball Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Illinois
USC
10:00pm EST | -9.5 -110+9.5 -110 |
Underdog USC - USC bettors risk $100 to win $90.91 at -110 odds.
A +9.5 USC underdog bet wins if they lose by 9 or fewer, tie, or win outright. Your bet loses if they lose by 10 or more.
Favorite Illinois - Illinois bettors risk $100 to win $90.91 at -110 odds.
A -9.5 Illinois favorite bet wins if they win by 10 or more. Your bet loses if they win by 9 or fewer, tie, or lose outright.
Illinois at USC Prop Bets
Important Note: Some states expressly forbid individual college athlete prop bets. The following wagers may not be available depending on your particular state laws.
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Illinois
USC
First to 5 Points
10:00pm EST | -160+115Bet |
Illinois
USC
First to 10 Points
10:00pm EST | -190+135Bet |
Illinois
USC
First to 15 Points
10:00pm EST | -210+150Bet |
Illinois
USC
Game to Overtime
10:00pm EST | Yes +1000No -10000Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | W-L | Win% | Home | Away | Conf | CGB | Conf% | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #10 Illinois | 21-5 | 0.808 | 13-2 | 6-1 | 12-3 | +2.5 | 0.800 | W1 |
| USC | 18-7 | 0.720 | 9-3 | 5-4 | 7-7 | +7 | 0.500 | L1 |
Illinois & USC Futures Odds
Latest College Basketball Championship odds, if available, for each team. Review March Madness odds for other teams and learn how to bet on the college basketball tournament. Also be sure to read Ron Halfback's Final Four write-up.
Illinois Championship Odds|
Team |
|---|
| OH,US ncaabb Evnum: 1 Odds Pending |
|
Team |
|---|
| OH,US ncaabb Evnum: 1 Odds Pending |
Illinois & USC Team Pages
Review each team's futures odds, betting bonuses, current standings and other valuable information on our exclusive team betting odds pages. Team betting odds and stats update throughout the season:
How to Bet on the Game
Time needed: 4 minutes.
How to Bet on the Illinois vs USC College Basketball Game
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Open a new sports betting account before game time.
Review our list of sports betting sites. Open a new account before the game starts on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 at 10:00 pm EST, making sure to enter all your personal details correctly. Don't forget to add your bonus code.
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Visit the sportsbook’s cashier, banking, or deposit page.
Navigate to the sportsbook's deposit page. Use your Visa card or MasterCard, or deposit with a bank transfer, or other methods like Paypal.
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Tap to the sportsbook's College Basketball page, look for the Illinois vs USC Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's College Basketball page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Illinois vs USC Game.
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Choose your bet and place a wager.
Choose your bet and then use the funds you deposited to place a wager. The sportsbook will pay your winnings or deduct a losing wager from your account balance after the game.
Other February 18, 2026 NCAABB Games
- Lafayette vs Holy Cross - 6:00pm EST
- Rutgers vs Penn State - 6:00pm EST
- VMI vs Wofford - 6:00pm EST
- Cleveland State vs Youngstown State - 6:30pm EST
- Butler vs Georgetown - 6:30pm EST
- East Tennessee State vs Furman - 6:30pm EST
- Purdue Fort Wayne vs Northern Kentucky - 7:00pm EST
- Saint Joseph's vs St. Bonaventure - 7:00pm EST
- UAB vs Temple - 7:00pm EST
- Oklahoma vs Tennessee - 7:00pm EST
- Ole Miss vs Texas A&M - 7:00pm EST
- Bradley vs Valparaiso - 7:00pm EST
- Clemson vs Wake Forest - 7:00pm EST
- UNC Greensboro vs Western Carolina - 7:00pm EST
- West Georgia vs Eastern Kentucky - 7:00pm EST
- Army vs Loyola (MD) - 7:00pm EST
- Lehigh vs Navy - 7:00pm EST
- Northern Iowa vs Indiana State - 7:00pm EST
- Dayton vs George Mason - 7:00pm EST
- Arkansas vs Alabama - 7:00pm EST
- Creighton vs UConn - 7:00pm EST
- American vs Bucknell - 7:00pm EST
- James Madison vs Coastal Carolina - 7:00pm EST
- Richmond vs Davidson - 7:00pm EST
- Western Kentucky vs Delaware - 7:00pm EST
- La Salle vs Duquesne - 7:00pm EST
- Wichita State vs East Carolina - 7:00pm EST
- Jacksonville vs Florida Gulf Coast - 7:00pm EST
- Loyola Chicago vs Fordham - 7:00pm EST
- Queens Charlotte vs North Alabama - 7:00pm EST
- Lipscomb vs Bellarmine - 7:30pm EST
- Jacksonville State vs Louisiana Tech - 7:30pm EST
- Middle Tennessee vs Sam Houston State - 7:30pm EST
- Southern Illinois vs Drake - 7:30pm EST
- Troy vs UL Monroe - 7:30pm EST
- North Dakota State vs South Dakota State - 8:00pm EST
- Charlotte vs Tulsa - 8:02pm EST
- Florida Atlantic vs UTSA - 8:02pm EST
- DePaul vs Seton Hall - 8:03pm EST
- Kennesaw State vs Missouri State - 8:03pm EST
- Maryland vs Northwestern - 8:06pm EST
- UIC vs Evansville - 8:06pm EST
- NCCU vs SC State - 8:10pm EST
- Oral Roberts vs Omaha - 8:14pm EST
- Utah vs West Virginia - 8:30pm EST
- BYU vs Arizona - 9:00pm EST
- Auburn vs Mississippi State - 9:00pm EST
- Virginia vs Georgia Tech - 9:00pm EST
- Murray State vs Illinois State - 9:00pm EST
- Saint Mary's (CA) vs Seattle - 9:00pm EST
- St. John's vs Marquette - 9:00pm EST
- Vanderbilt vs Missouri - 9:00pm EST
- Kansas vs Oklahoma State - 9:00pm EST
- Pacific vs Washington State - 9:30pm EST
- Pepperdine vs Portland - 10:00pm EST
- Boise State vs Utah State - 10:30pm EST
- Colorado State vs UNLV - 11:00pm EST
- Gonzaga vs San Francisco - 11:00pm EST