USC vs TCU Betting Tips – Trojans To Down Horned Frogs In Alamo Bowl

Leigh Copson

Editor

Last updated: Wed 17 Dec 2025 12:37

Leigh Copson 17 Dec 2025

Share this article

USC is favoured to win the Alamo Bowl against TCU
Jayden Maiava's return for 2026 boosts USC's offense
TCU leads the overall series but struggles on the road

Expired

(Getty Images )

USC vs TCU Betting Tips

Key Numbers – Can USC Make It 6 Wins In 8?
TCU Lead All-Time Head-To-Head; Won Last Meeting
USC Finished Regular Season With 9-3 Record
TCU Put Together 8-4 Regular Season Record

USC are tipped to cover the spread as they win the Alamo Bowl.

Jayden Maiava is set to start after confirming he will return in 2026, and with the talented quarterback at the controls the Trojans are likely to have too much firepower for TCU.

Key Numbers – Can USC Make It 6 Wins In 8?

USC have won 5 of their last 7 games
TCU failed to cover in 4 of their 5 regular season road games
The Under has cashed in 5 of USC’s last 7 games
The Under has hit in 3 of TCU’s previous 5 games

TCU Lead All-Time Head-To-Head; Won Last Meeting

TCU lead the all-time series 3-2
TCU won 28-19 when the two teams last met in December 1998

USC Finished Regular Season With 9-3 Record

USC missed out on the Big Ten Championship game as they lost twice in conference play on their way to a 9-3 overall record.

The Trojans opened with a couple of non-conference wins, and then kicked off their Big Ten slate by beating Purdue 33-17 and Michigan State 45-31.

Their perfect start was ended by a 34-32 loss at Illinois, and they then failed to build on a 31-13 upset of Michigan as they lost a non-conference matchup with Notre Dame, 34-24.

USC rebounded as they returned to Big Ten duty by backing up a 21-17 success at Nebraska with home wins over Northwestern, 38-17, and Iowa, 26-21.

The Trojans failed to make it four-in-a-row though, losing 42-27 at Oregon, before closing out the regular season with a 29-10 victory against UCLA.

TCU Put Together 8-4 Regular Season Record

TCU wrapped up the regular season with back-to-back victories to finish with an 8-4 record.

The Horned Frogs opened with three non-conference wins, including a 48-14 demolition of North Carolina that wrecked Bill Belichick’s debut.

They stumbled early in their Big 12 schedule though, as they sandwiched a 35-21 home win against Colorado with road defeats to Arizona State, 27-24, and Kansas State, 41-28.

TCU rallied by beating Baylor 42-36 at home and West Virginia 23-17 on the road, only to then drop back-to-back games as they fell 20-17 to Iowa State and 44-13 at BYU.

The Horned Frogs did bounce back over their final couple of games though, as they upset Houston 17-14 on the road before returning home to beat Cincinnati 45-23.

Verdict

Alamo Bowl - USC v TCU

USC’s offense offers more reasons for optimism, especially with Jayden Maiava at the controls.

We are backing the Trojans to cover the spread as they win the Alamo Bowl and complete a 10-win season.

USC -5.5

Spread

@9/10 - 4 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365

Under 58.5

Total Points

@9/10 - 2 Units

Bet £10 Get £10

Promo Code: NEWBONUS

New customers only. Bet £10+ to receive £10 in Free Bets. 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. 18+. GambleAware.org

Bet at dabble

During his career he has covered some of the biggest sporting events on the planet, including the Super Bowl, the Champions League Final and the World Cup Final. He has also covered almost every major boxing match and UFC fight card during this time.. His specialist sports are American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Football.

Follow more of Leigh's work on Muckrack.