Wichita State vs USC Prediction 11/8/26 College Basketball Picks Today

USC vs Wichita State Prediction

I’ll just stick with USC. The Trojans didn’t have too many issues versus Milwaukee in their opener. USC shot a smooth 57 percent from the field in that one, along with 55 percent (12-of-22) from outside and 71 percent (17-of-24) from the line. The Trojans added a 37-31 rebounding edge and just 37 percent shooting allowed on defense but did have 14 turnovers. Sunday’s matchup will be quite a bit tougher, and we’ll get to see what USC is made of in the early-going this year.

As for Wichita State, they took care of business in their opener against Cal State Northridge. In that one the Shockers didn’t shot very well, hitting only 37 percent from the field, 30 percent (8-of-27) from outside and 68 percent (15-of-22) from the line. Wichita State also had a 48-46 rebounding deficit but controlled the ball very well on just three turnovers. The Shockers also did a solid job on defense with 36 percent shooting allowed. Playing against USC is going to be quite different however, and if the Shockers don’t get that shooting percentage up they’re going to be in trouble quickly.

Game Info, Stats and Previews

The Wichita State Shockers and the USC Trojans meet Sunday in college basketball action from Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline. Here’s a collection of relevant information and reasoning for a sound USC vs Wichita State prediction. We have looked at this information from a betting perspective and attempted to determine the best USC vs Wichita State pick.

Wichita State Shockers Betting Preview

The Shockers had a pretty good overall year in 2025-26. Wichita State went 24-12 with a 13-5 record in the American Conference. With that run the Shockers finished behind only South Florida in the standings. Wichita State beat Tulsa in the American Tournament then fell to South Florida in the Championship game. The Shockers did get a bid to the NIT though, where they got through Wyoming and Oklahoma State ahead of a loss to rival Tulsa in the quarterfinal.

This year Wichita State has one game in the tank so far. The Shockers played Cal State Northridge on Wednesday at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita and took a 79-67 victory. Leading the team in the win was William Berg with 26 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double. Kenyon Giles added 21 points with eight assists, and Jahari Long also finished in double-digits with 12 points, five rebounds and one assist in 33 minutes of work on the floor in the win.

USC Trojans Betting Preview

Over on the Trojans’ side, they managed to go a reasonable 18-14 overall last year. USC got lost in a tough Big Ten though, going just 7-13 to finish ahead of Washington, Rutgers, Northwestern, Oregon, Maryland and Penn State. The Trojans hit a seven-game losing streak to close out the regular season, then fell to Washington in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament.

USC also has just one game in the books so far. That one came on Monday versus Milwaukee at Galen Center in Los Angeles. The Trojans rolled to a 95-63 blowout victory in front of over 4,500 fans in that one. Tops in scoring was Adonis Ratliff with 25 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Alijah Arenas added 21 points with eight boards, two assists and two steals in the winning effort for the Trojans. KJ Lewis topped the bench players with 10 points and two assists in 23 minutes of work on the floor.

USC Trojans @ Wichita State Shockers Betting Trends: November 8, 2026

Why the Wichita State Shockers will win

• Wichita State has won each of its last six night games against non-Conference opponents.
• USC has lost six of its last seven games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the USC Trojans will win

• USC has won 16 of its last 17 games against non-Conference opponents.
• Wichita State has lost 11 of its last 12 games against AP-ranked opponents.
• Wichita State has lost the first half in five of its last six night games played at neutral venues.