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Villanova vs. USC Prediction Tonight: Best College Basketball Crown Picks, Odds & Preview

Mike Spector

Last Updated: April 3, 2025 7:32 PM EDT • 3 min 53 sec read.

Villanova vs. USC Prediction & Picks Tonight: Best College Basketball Crown Odds & Preview
Pictured: Villanova Wildcats guard Jordan Longino (15) drives to the basket against Seton Hall Pirates forward Prince Aligbe (4). Photo by Brad Penner via Imagn Images.

The Villanova Wildcats (20-14) and USC Trojans (17-17) won their opening round College Basketball Crown games by a combined 50 points, and now face each other tonight with a trip to the semifinal on the line. Tipoff from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas is set for 9:30 p.m. ET (FS1).

Our Villanova vs. USC prediction, odds, and preview expect the favorites to cover the spread given their consistency down the stretch. The Wildcats are 4.5-point betting favorites at our best sports betting sites.

🏀 Villanova vs. USC prediction & picks: College Basketball Crown

Here are my best Villanova vs. USC predictions for the College Basketball Crown; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:

✅ Against the spread pick: Villanova -4.5 (-120 via ESPN BET) vs. USC ⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Over/Under bet: Under 151.5 (-115 via ESPN BET) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Villanova 77, USC 69

👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness predictions.

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📈Villanova vs. USC betting insights

  • Villanova is getting a significant amount of attention among spread betters while receiving 67% of the action to cover
  • Similarly, the Over on 150.5 is generating 59% of the action
  • The spread started at -5, and it shifted to -6 in favor of Villanova this afternoon

🏆 Best Villanova vs. USC pick & score prediction

Our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds for any March Madness market across legal sportsbooks in your area!

✅ Villanova to cover the spread: -4.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Villanova and USC are two of the only teams in the College Basketball Crown whose rosters are nearly 100% intact after the transfer portal opened. That makes analyzing this game easier than others in the tournament, and USC’s results since mid-February leave much to be desired.

Since Feb. 11, USC is just 3-7, with its most impressive win coming against a Rutgers team in the Big Ten tournament whose top two players had one foot out the door to the NBA Draft. Meanwhile, Villanova beat three NCAA Tournament teams (Xavier, St. John’s, and Marquette) in a similar stretch, and earned a 10-point victory over Crown invitee Butler.

The Wildcats could have easily folded under their recent coaching change. Still, they played hard for interim coach Mike Nardi, scoring a blistering 1.27 points per possession and shooting 71% from 2-point range against Colorado.

As long as the nation’s leading scorer Eric Dixon stays hungry after becoming Villanova’s all-time points leader in the last game, the Wildcats should turn in another comfortable victory in this one.

📊 Best odds: -120 via ESPN BET ($10 to win $8.33)

🔥 Over/Under pick: Under 151.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is my most confident play of the entire CBC to this point, and it is mostly due to the fact that Villanova likes to play at a pace that will grind this game to a half-court setting. USC is a poor transition defensive team, but the Wildcats do not look to run often and are not best suited to take advantage of that weakness.

In terms of preparation, much of USC’s focus heading into the tournament was centered around Tulane’s unique matchup zone. Now, the Trojans have a much different prep for Villanova, but their ability to switch 1-through-5 should also bother the Wildcats on the defensive end.

📊 Best odds: -115 via ESPN BET ($10 to win $8.70)

🎯 Score prediction: Villanova 77, USC 69

No Villanova game in its last 12 has ended with a combined score of 152-plus points, so I am expecting a lower-scoring game even though the Over is 9-2-1 in the Wildcats’ 12 non-conference games this season. Thus, I am predicting a final score of Villanova 77, USC 69.

Odds for this final score wager are not available yet, but I’d expect DraftKings to offer between +15000 and +19000 odds for this prop when they surface.

📊 Best odds: OFF

🤖 Villanova vs. USC AI prediction

For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze college basketball stats and trends before predicting the winner and exact score for Villanova vs. USC. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Villanova 74, USC 68.

🖥️ AI score prediction: Villanova 74, USC 68

  • Villanova’s tournament experience: The Wildcats have been consistently strong in the tournament, with a well-established winning culture.
  • USC’s defensive strength: USC has one of the best defenses in the country, which it will need to harness to slow down Villanova’s offense, especially its sharp shooters from beyond the arc.
  • Villanova’s offensive firepower: With a potent offensive unit, Villanova’s offensive efficiency - especially from 3-point range - could prove to be the difference maker.

🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Villanova covering the spread (-4.5) and a total of Under 151.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that college basketball bettors might overlook.

📊 Villanova vs. USC odds

Follow the latest live college basketball odds and real-time college basketball scores. Odds via bet365 at 9 a.m. ET.

  • Spread: Villanova -5.5 (-110) | USC +5.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Villanova -225 | USC +185
  • Over/Under: Over 152.5 (-110) | Under 152.5 (-110)

🔢 Villanova vs. USC opening odds

  • Spread: Villanova -4.5 (-120) | USC +4.5 (+100)
  • Moneyline: Villanova -210 | USC +175
  • Over/Under: Over 151.5 (-105) | Under 151.5 (-115)

📺 How to watch Villanova vs. USC: College Basketball Crown

📅 Date: Thursday, April 3
🕗 Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
📍 Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas)
📺 TV: FS1
💻 Streaming: FOX Sports App

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Written By:
Mike Spector
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”