Usc Trojans vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Picks and Predictions February 15th 2025

USC Eyes Rare Back-to-Back Wins When Minnesota Visits

USC looks to string together consecutive victories for the first time in a month when it hosts Minnesota on Saturday in Los Angeles.

USC Coming Off Dominant Win Over Penn State

The Trojans (14-10, 6-7 Big Ten) bounced back from an 0-2 road trip with a resounding 92-67 victory over Penn State on Tuesday. They erupted for 52 second-half points, marking their most lopsided win since an 82-51 rout of Southern in December.

USC’s depth was on display, as seven players scored at least eight points, including Desmond Claude (16 points), who returned after missing the previous two games due to a knee injury.

Chibuzo Agbo (21 points) and Wesley Yates III (12 points, five rebounds, four assists) also played through illness.

“Shoutout to the medical staff for getting Buzo and Wesley available just to put on the uniform,” USC coach Eric Musselman said. “Desmond, with the bone bruise, could have been out three weeks. It was around-the-clock rehab … Hopefully his knee will respond fine and we can get ready for Minnesota.”

Minnesota Struggling After Midseason Surge

Minnesota (12-12, 4-9) is trying to snap a three-game skid, having dropped three of its last four after previously notching back-to-back ranked wins over Michigan and Oregon.

The Golden Gophers are coming off a 95-74 home loss to Illinois, despite 24 points from Lu’Cye Patterson and 22 from Femi Odukale.

“This hurts a lot,” Odukale said after the loss. “A couple possessions I felt like I could’ve stopped them with my defense and given extra effort. Just got to be better and look forward to the next one.”

Minnesota currently holds the 15th and final Big Ten Tournament spot, making every game down the stretch crucial.

Feel Like You’re Always Guessing?

Get Reliable NCAAB Predictions Now!

Register Now!

Trojans’ Balanced Attack Key to Success

USC’s trio of Claude (16.2 PPG), Yates (12.5 PPG), and Agbo (11.9 PPG) leads the way, with Claude also dishing out a team-high 4.4 assists per game.

The Trojans haven’t won back-to-back games since defeating Illinois and Iowa in mid-January but will be favored to do so against a struggling Minnesota squad.

Will USC keep the momentum going, or can the Gophers pull off a much-needed road win?