USC vs. Notre Dame Pick
Can No. 13 Notre Dame pick up another big win when it hosts No. 11 USC tonight at 7:30PM ET in a battle of rivals?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Notre Dame is slightly favored in this game, as the Fighting Irish are getting odds of -3 points against USC. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 65.5 right now after opening at 58 points. The home team has won the last four meetings in this series and all covered the spread in the process. The public is currently putting 73 percent of the wagers on Notre Dame at home. Tonight’s game takes place from Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana and will air live on NBC.
Notre Dame is coming off a 33-10 win at North Carolina two weeks ago to improve to 5-1 on the season and 5-1 against the spread. The Irish have covered in all five wins. ND is putting up 40 points and 471.3 yards per game behind a rushing attack that averages 308 yards per game. Josh Adams is leading the offense with 776 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Brandon Wimbush has thrown for 783 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 402 yards and eight scores. Wimbush missed the game against UNC due to a foot sprain, but he is expected to play tonight. Defensively, Notre Dame is allowing 16.8 points and 365.7 yards per contest.
USC is coming off a 28-27 win over Utah last week to improve to 6-1 on the season. The Trojans are just 1-6 against the spread this season, failing to cover on the road in both games this year. USC is putting up 34.4 points and 477 yards per game on offense this season. Sam Darnold is leading the way with 2,063 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, but he also has nine interceptions. Deontay Burnett has caught 49 passes for 626 yards and six touchdowns while Ronald Jones II has run for 640 yards and eight scores. Defensively, USC is allowing 23.7 points and 385.4 yards per contest.
I think Notre Dame might be one of the best teams in the country. The Irish only lost to Georgia by 1 and the Bulldogs are looking like the second best team in the SEC right now. ND had a bye week last week and the Irish are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11 after a bye week. USC is just 3-9 ATS in its last 12 on the road and 1-4 ATS in their last five against winning teams. USC has been competitive in all their games, but not performing like they were expected to. I think Notre Dame punches them in the face right away and the Trojans don’t recover.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: USC -3