Picks for 1/21/26
College Basketball
11:00 PM EST
Rotation # 762
USC -6.5 over Northwestern (loss)
Both teams finished with identical conference records last year, tied for 12th place. USC Head Coach Eric Musselman brought in a bunch of new transfers in his second full year with the program, trying to get his Trojans team to be competitive in the BIG 10. Chris Collins is in his 13th year with the Wildcats and off to a disastrous 0-7 start in conference. Senior Nick Martinelli is an outstanding talent, but the Wildcats didn’t do enough in the transfer portal to improve. Northwestern has sidetracked from the winning program that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024. The Trojans have endured a few injuries this year and still have been competitive. A healthy Rodney Rice would make the Trojans a legit contender, but that will have to wait until next year. The good news for the Trojans is that they should see 5-star recruit Alijah Arenas in action for the first time after missing the start of the season with a meniscus injury. The Trojans have the size and experience advantage, and if they can keep Nick Martinelli from having a big game, they should be able to win by double-digits on their home floor. I don’t think the Wildcats can match the Trojans tempo or keep up defensively to win on the road in this spot. Take USC.
11:00 PM EST
Rotation # 762
USC -6.5 over Northwestern (loss)
Both teams finished with identical conference records last year, tied for 12th place. USC Head Coach Eric Musselman brought in a bunch of new transfers in his second full year with the program, trying to get his Trojans team to be competitive in the BIG 10. Chris Collins is in his 13th year with the Wildcats and off to a disastrous 0-7 start in conference. Senior Nick Martinelli is an outstanding talent, but the Wildcats didn’t do enough in the transfer portal to improve. Northwestern has sidetracked from the winning program that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024. The Trojans have endured a few injuries this year and still have been competitive. A healthy Rodney Rice would make the Trojans a legit contender, but that will have to wait until next year. The good news for the Trojans is that they should see 5-star recruit Alijah Arenas in action for the first time after missing the start of the season with a meniscus injury. The Trojans have the size and experience advantage, and if they can keep Nick Martinelli from having a big game, they should be able to win by double-digits on their home floor. I don’t think the Wildcats can match the Trojans tempo or keep up defensively to win on the road in this spot. Take USC.