The USC Trojans look to stay hot as they return home in Week 11 for a Friday night matchup with the Northwestern Wildcats.
The Trojans picked up a big win on the road against Nebraska a week ago, and I think they can win by at least two scores against Northwestern.
Read on for my early Northwestern vs. USC predictions and college football picks for Friday, November 7.
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Northwestern vs USC predictions
Here are our early thoughts on the spread and total for this week’s game. We will have a full game preview (with a best bet and SGP) later in the week.
Early Northwestern vs USC spread pick: USC -14.5
The USC Trojans appear to have found a groove this season. Lincoln Riley’s squad is 6-2, and the only losses came on the road against Notre Dame (no shame in that) and Illinois (on a last-second field goal). The Trojans cast off their Big Ten road troubles with a 21-17 win at Nebraska, and now return home for a relatively comfortable game against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Although Northwestern’s 5-3 record looks good on the surface, this probably isn’t as quality of a football team as the five wins would indicate. The Wildcats rank outside the Top 100 in EPA per play on offense and are 83rd in success rate on defense.
USC has the superior offensive firepower, headlined by quarterback Jayden Maiava and receiver Makai Lemon. The Trojans have played well at home, notably handling Michigan with ease in a 31-13 victory.
The Wildcats don’t have the offensive weaponry to go score-for-score with the Trojans and will likely need to muddy things up to stay within striking range. That might be easier said than done — USC’s offense is prolific, and the defense showed improvement in Lincoln last week.
Early Northwestern vs USC total pick: Under 52.5
Northwestern will try to slow this game down and make it ugly. The Wildcats may not be able to do that perfectly, but it could be enough to keep this game Under the total. The Wildcats check in at 129th in plays per minute, and they should try to avoid turning this game into a shootout, as USC possesses the better offense.
Northwestern has cashed the Under six times in eight games. This is the first time this year one of their games has a total this high, which immediately makes me consider the Under.
USC’s defense hasn’t always been perfect, but it was great last week when it held Nebraska to 286 total yards on 4.6 yards per play. D’Anton Lynn is a quality defensive coordinator, and he should be able to cause problems for an underwhelming Northwestern offense that hasn’t scored more than 22 points in a game since October 4.
The Trojans are liable to put a crooked number on the scoreboard any given week, which explains the relatively high total for a Northwestern game. Still, it’s a short week of rest for USC, and Northwestern is OK enough on defense.
Northwestern vs USC odds
- Northwestern vs. USC spread: USC -14.5
- Northwestern vs. USC moneyline: Northwestern +450, USC -630
- Northwestern vs. USC Over/Under: 52.5
How to watch Northwestern vs USC
- Northwestern vs. USC matchup
- Date: Friday, November 7, 2025, 9:00 p.m. ET
- City: Los Angeles, CA
- Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- TV: FOX
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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