California vs. USC Pick
Will the USC Trojans and Cal Golden Bears have another Pac-12 shootout when the two meet up this Thursday night at 10:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, USC is the clear favorite at home on Thursday, as the Trojans are getting odds of -15.5 points against the Golden Bears. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 74.5 points. USC hasn’t lost to Cal in over a decade and the two have hit the under in four of their last five meetings.
Cal is coming off a 52-49 OT win over Oregon this past weekend. The Golden Bears have went to OT in their last two games and are now 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in the Pac-12. The Bears have hit the over in six of seven games. Cal has a great offense, as the Bears are putting up 43.7 points and 545.3 yards per game. They have one of the top passing attacks in the nation, averaging 370.3 yards per game. Davis Webb has thrown for 2,581 yards and 27 touchdowns with seven interceptions. The leading receiver Chad Hansen, who has caught 59 passes for 770 yards and eight touchdowns. However, he is questionable to play in this game due to an ankle injury that kept him out against Oregon. Defensively, Cal is struggling this season, allowing 41.3 points and 488.3 yards per contest. They are giving up 270.7 rushing yards per contest, which is among the worst in the nation.
USC is coming off a 48-14 win at Arizona for its third straight win. The Trojans are now 4-3 on the season and 3-2 in the Pac-12. The Trojans are 5-2 with the under this season due to an impressive P12 defense that is giving up just 24 points and 370 yards per game. The USC pass defense has held opponents to just 206.3 yards per contest. On offense, USC hasn’t been very overpowering, posting just 28.3 points and 440 yards per game. Sam Darnold has thrown for 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns this season to lead the offense while JuJu Smith-Schuster has 40 catches for 565 yards and eight touchdowns. However, Smith-Schuster is questionable for this game with a back injury. USC’s leading rusher Justin Davis is also questionable to play because of an ankle injury. He has run for 476 yards and two touchdowns this year.
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Cal has been able to hit the over the last two weeks thanks to going to OT. However, the Trojans have hit the under in three straight thanks to their defensive effort. While USC can put up some points on their own, they aren’t the Trojans of years past that could rack up obscene amount of yards and points. With this game being at home, I see USC giving Webb some problems and being able to keep the score within reason.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 9 PICK: CALIFORNIA/USC UNDER 74.5