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Game Details and How to watch USC vs. Northwestern Date: Friday, November 7th, 2025 Time: 9:00PM Eastern Site: Los Angeles Memorial Stadium City: Los Angeles, CA TV/Streaming: FOX Game Odds for USC vs. Northwestern The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings: Moneyline: USC Trojans (-550), Northwestern Wildcats (+410) Spread: USC -14.5 (-110) Total: 50.5 points Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the college football schedule! Lets dive into each team and find a few bets for this blockbuster. USC Trojans School: USC Head Coach: Lincoln Riley 2025 Record: 6-2 Offense Ranking: 3rd Defense Ranking: 43rd Strength of Schedule: 23rd Team Overview USC is 6–2 (4–1 Pac-12) and up to No. 12 in SP+, powered by an elite offense (No. 3 Off. SP+) that ranks 1st in yards/play (7.62), 3rd in success rate (52.7%), and 4th in points/drive (3.49) with explosive plays on 9.8% of snaps. The defense is improved but still middle-of-pack (43rd Def. SP+), allowing 5.59 yards/play (79th) and a 43.1% success rate (93rd), though it does finish drives reasonably well (3.76 pts/scoring opp., 21st) and creates pressure (8.2% sack rate, 14th). Signature results include a 31–13 win over Michigan and a tough road win at Nebraska, offset by losses at Illinois and Notre Dame. Pivotal remaining tests versus Iowa, @Oregon, and UCLA will determine the ceiling. Field position has been poor on offense (123rd average start) while their turnover margin is a decent +2. Special teams are also commendable (28th) with the team’s offensive dominance being the Trojans’ best path to a 10 win finish. The USC Trojans Offense HC Lincoln Riley is renowned for his ability to produce elite offenses, and this year is no different with USC ranking 3rd in Offensive SP+, 3rd in success rate (52.7%), and 1st nationally in yards per play (7.62). The Trojans are lethal on the ground and through the air, posting a 6.1 yards per rush (8th) and a 9.0 yards per dropback (6th) while converting 57.5% of standard downs (4th) and 38.7% of passing downs (10th). They finish drives at a high level (4.98 points per scoring opportunity, 26th) and create chunk plays at volume, with 9.8% of snaps gaining 20+ yards (5th) and a 23.4% explosive completion rate (7th). Protection has been spotty at times (2.9% pressure rate, 94th), but they’re only allowing sacks on 3.4% of dropbacks (17th) and the offense almost never stalls (16.1% three-and-outs, 9th), making USC a top-tier unit that forces defenses into constant stress. Player to Watch: QB Jayden Maiava Jayden Maiava has matured into a top flight college signal caller, completing 65.3% of his passes for 2,315 yards with a 15–5 TD-INT ratio across eight games. He combines downfield aggression with accuracy, averaging an elite 15.0 yards per completion and posting a 53.7% passing success rate, good for a 90.3 Total QBR. Maiava protects himself well in the pocket, taking sacks on just 3.3% of dropbacks, and still produces 9.3 yards per dropback with a 10.4 ANY/A clip. He’s also a functional red-zone runner, adding 5 rushing TDs with a 61.5% success rate on the ground, giving him one of the most balanced dual-threat efficiency profiles in the country. The USC Trojans Defense USC’s defense is improved but still uneven, ranking 43rd in Defensive SP+ with a profile built more on disruption than consistency. The Trojans defend the run well situationally (47.2% rushing success allowed, 122nd, but 2.22 yards after contact allowed, 20th, and 91.5% tackle success rate, 1st nationally), and struggle to get off the field because opponents stay ahead of the chains (49.7% standard down success allowed, 98th). Their pass rush is devastating when it hits (8.2% sack rate, 14th) and the defensive line generates top-10 havoc, but coverage remains leaky with opponents averaging 6.0 yards per dropback (56th) and converting 47% of contested targets. Overall, USC’s defense has elite tackling and front-seven disruption, but inconsistent success-rate prevention and a middle-tier pass defense keep it from matching the explosiveness of its offense. Player to Watch: LB Eric Gentry Eric Gentry has been the heartbeat of the defense, leading the team with 54 tackles, including 37 solo stops, while maintaining an excellent 88.5% tackle success rate. He’s one of the most disruptive second-level defenders in the country, posting 11 havoc plays, 6.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles through eight games. As a pass rusher, Gentry is remarkably efficient, generating 8 pressures on just 37 rushes (21.6% pressure rate) — the highest on the team — and converting three of them into sacks. His blend of range, play recognition, and impact in both run and pass situations makes him a high-end all-around linebacker rather than just a volume tackler. Northwestern Wildcats School: Northwestern Head Coach: David Braun 2025 Record: 5-3 Offense Ranking: 101st Defense Ranking: 24th Strength of Schedule: 25th Team Overview Northwestern sits at 5-3 (3-2 Big Ten) with the 60th SP+ ranking, pairing a top-25 defense (No. 24 SP+) with a bottom-tier offense (No. 101 SP+). The Wildcats win with methodical, slow-tempo football — they rank 131st in pace (30.5 seconds per play) and 57th in yards allowed per play, but remain inefficient in finishing drives, sitting 115th in points per scoring opportunity. Their defense is sturdy on standard downs and ranks 18th in points allowed per drive, but create only a 14.9% havoc rate and rank 101st in rushing success rate allowed. Offensively, they struggle to generate explosives (88th in 20+ yard play rate, 109th in marginal explosiveness), leaving their margin for error small and most games low-scoring and grind-heavy. The Northwestern Wildcats Offense Northwestern’s offense ranks 101st in SP+ and operates at the 5th-slowest pace in the country (131st in seconds per play, 30.5), leaning heavily on ball control rather than explosiveness. The Wildcats run the ball on 59.3% of standard downs, but while they post a solid 46.5% rushing success rate (No. 40), they lack big-play capability, ranking 88th in explosive play rate and 111th in yards per successful play. Their biggest weakness is finishing drives, as Northwestern is 115th in points per scoring opportunity and 130th in red-zone TD rate, turning sustained drives into too many field goals or empty trips. Passing efficiency is limited (79th success rate, 125th ANY/A) behind a conservative scheme that throws short (16% of passes have zero or negative air yards) and struggles to connect downfield, resulting in just 2.25 points per drive (71st). Player To Watch: WR Griffin Wilde Griffin Wilde is Northwestern’s clear WR1, leading the team in targets (61), receptions (39), yards (570), and receiving touchdowns (4) while converting an elite 76.9% of his catches into first downs. He couples volume with efficiency, posting a strong 9.3 yards per target and 56.5% success rate, making him the offense’s most reliable chain-mover. Wilde runs a balanced route tree — 49% of his receptions come out wide and 51% from the slot — and wins at all depths, with 35% of his targets intermediate and 28% deep. With only a 4.9% drop rate and strong ball-tracking on vertical shots (13.7 air yards per target), he profiles as a true go-to receiver in an offense otherwise short on explosive playmakers. The Northwestern Wildcats Defense Northwestern’s defense is the clear strength of the team, ranking 24th in SP+ and holding opponents to just 1.68 points per drive (37th) despite getting little help from the offense. The Wildcats excel at preventing explosives, allowing only 5.0% of plays to gain 20+ yards (28th) and ranking 31st in defensive marginal explosiveness, forcing opponents to string together long drives. They are especially strong in situational football — 18th in points allowed per scoring opportunity and 31st in red-zone TD rate, consistently tightening inside the 20. Their main vulnerability is the run game (45.0% rushing success rate allowed, 101st) and a low havoc rate at the second level (111th in LB havoc), but a top-25 pass defense and disciplined structure keep them competitive every week. Player To Watch: Aidan Hubbard Aidan Hubbard has emerged as Northwestern’s most disruptive edge defender, ranking second on the team with 7 havoc plays and posting 6.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks through eight games. He’s been highly efficient as a pass rusher, generating 18 total pressures on 126 rushes (14.3% rate) while tying for the team lead with 4 sacks created and finishing plays quickly with a 2.38-second time-to-first-pressure. Hubbard is also a reliable finisher in the run game, boasting an elite 96.3% tackle rate and recording four run stops, showing he isn’t just a pass-rush specialist. With steady production across both phases and one of the strongest pressure profiles on the roster, he projects as a rising every-down defensive end in the Wildcats’ front. USC and Northwestern team stats, betting trends USC has won 5 straight home games USC is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games as a home favorite The Over is 14-6 in Northwestern's last 10 on the road and USC's last 10 at home combined Rotoworld Best Bets Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. As mentioned above, Northwestern WR Griffin Wilde is the clear focal point of the Northwestern offense, averaging a robust 2.75 yards per route while receiving at least 7 targets in every single game against a P4 opponent this season. With Northwestern almost assured to be playing from behind against USC’s 3rd ranked offense, and Wilde having cleared his very reasonable 45.5 Receiving Yards line (good to 52.5) in all 8 games this season, take his Over 45.5 Receiving Yards. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Best bets our model is projecting for this week’s game between Wildcats and Trojans Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Northwestern Wildcats at +14.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 50.5. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick) Eric Froton (@CFFroton)
