Last week, the Northwestern Wildcats had a bye week after a painful loss at Nebraska.
The Cats remain tantalizingly close to a bowl bid, needing only one more Betting on College Football win.
On Friday night, Northwestern gets its shot to clinch bowl eligibility on the national stage. The Wildcats face the USC Trojans on FOX prime time from the LA Coliseum with a great opportunity for the perfect program infomercial.
Head coach David Braun has led the Wildcats to a much better season than expected.
Last week at Nebraska, USC scored a courageous win in a hostile environment.
A Friday night Big Ten FOX matchup against a legacy program like USC is bound to draw strong betting interest.
Get the latest Week 11 news, check out the current betting lines for the games, and don’t miss Friday Night College Football action, all with the best odds at BookMaker!
Northwestern Wildcats at USC Trojans Odds at Bookmaker
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is the venue for the matchup between the Northwestern Wildcats and the USC Trojans on Friday, October 7, 2025. Kickoff time is at 9 p.m. ET with television coverage on FOX.
Oddsmakers opened with USC as a 15.5-point favorite and Northwestern as a 15.5-point dog.
USC is a -720 moneyline favorite with Northwestern as a +490 moneyline dog.
USC and Northwestern opened with a total of 51.5.
Northwestern Wildcats
Last game, the Northwestern Wildcats lost 28-21 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers as 7-point road dogs. The game went over the total of 44.5.
As a result, Northwestern is 5-3 straight up, 5-2-1 against the spread, and 2-6 over/under the total.
Northwestern ranks 94th for total offense, 119th for passing, 38th for rushing, 104th for scoring, and 120th for fewest turnovers committed.
Northwestern ranks 22nd in total defense, 16th vs. the pass, 62nd vs. the rush, 14th in fewest points allowed, and 85th in takeaways.
USC Trojans
Last game, the USC Trojans won 21-17 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers as 4.5-point road favorites. The game went under the total of 59. Now, USC is 6-2 straight up, 4-4 against the spread, and 4-4 over/under the total.
Overall, USC ranks 6th for total offense, 12th for passing, 25th for rushing, 9th for scoring, and 83rd for fewest turnovers committed.
USC ranks 52nd for total defense, 55th vs. the pass, 60th vs. the rush, 54th for fewest points allowed, and 38th for takeaways.
King Miller ran for 129 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Southern California overcame its worst passing performance in seven years to beat Nebraska on Saturday night.
The Trojans came in with the nation's top passing offense, but Jayden Maiava was just 9 of 23 for 135 yards during Nebraska's first “Blackout” game.
USC made up for its passing struggles with a run game that churned out 202 yards, many of them on chunk plays. Miller had five of the Trojans' 10 runs of at least 10 yards.
Northwestern at USC Betting Trends
Overall, Northwestern has struggled to provide value on the road.
The Wildcats covered the spread in only three of their previous eight road games.
The Wildcats went over the total in five of their most recent seven away games.
By contrast, USC has shown surprisingly good home value. USC has won the money in eight of its most recent 10 home games.
The Trojans went over the total in 15 of their last 20 home matchups.
Northwestern at USC Best Bets
Northwestern has provided excellent betting value this season.
Bargain hunters love Northwestern for its lack of appeal, which allows the Cats to get enhanced prices on the board.
Squares will not want Northwestern in a road game at a blueblood power brand like USC.
Of course, the Trojans struggle to deliver reliable value.
Based on branding, USC will draw the vast majority of the casual sector support against Northwestern.
As mentioned earlier, Northwestern struggles to cover the spread on the road while USC makes money at home.
In this situation, USC has vastly more talent. Despite its toughness and tenacity, Northwestern will struggle to keep up.
Main Pick: USC Trojans
Over/Under Pick: Under the Total
Player Prop Picks: Preston Stone Under the Passing Yards Total
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