USC Trojans vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Preview & ATS Pick – 1/9/2026

The matchup between the USC Trojans and the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday night could be one of the best games of the night in college basketball. Minnesota enters this game on a five-game winning streak, while USC is seeking to rebound from consecutive road setbacks in conference play. Minnesota enters this game as the favorite at home and you can find my USC vs Minnesota prediction below before tip-off.

Our USC vs Minnesota Pick ATS PRO

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: USC Trojans @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
• Date & Time: Friday, January 9, 2026, 8:30 PM ET
• Venue: Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Broadcast: Big Ten Network

Key Storylines

The Golden Gophers have been impressive in conference play, improving to 3-1 in Big Ten action and riding a five-game winning streak into this contest. Minnesota’s most recent victory was a dramatic 70-67 upset over a ranked Iowa team, with guard Langston Reynolds leading the way with 22 points on efficient shooting. The Gophers have a 9-0 home record this season at Williams Arena, which gives them a tangible edge in this matchup.

USC arrives in Minneapolis facing plenty of adversity. After a strong start to the season, the Trojans have dropped their last two road games by significant margins, including an 80-51 loss to Michigan State that highlighted defensive issues and scoring struggles away from home. USC’s conference record sits at 1-3, and key contributors such as Rodney Rice are sidelined, placing further pressure on Chad Baker-Mazara to step up. The Trojans are still capable offensively, averaging over 85 points per game, but recent defensive lapses and turnover concerns could be costly again here, as they try to avoid a third straight loss.

Head-to-Head & Betting Trends

• Minnesota has gone 9-0 at home this season.
• USC is 2-2 on the road this year and 0-2 on the road in Big Ten play.
• Minnesota is 2-0 all-time against USC, including a 69-66 win in Los Angeles last season.
• USC is 6-8 against the spread so far this season.
• Minnesota is 7-8 against the spread on the year.
• USC is 8-6 to the over going into Friday night’s game.
• The under has cashed in 10 of Minnesota’s first 15 games.

USC vs Minnesota Model Projection ATS PRO

Final Thoughts ATS PRO

Jay Sanin

Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.