Washington State Cougars vs. No. 6 USC Trojans (10/8 @ 7:30 PM EST.)
Line: USC (-13)
Total: 65.5
Washington State vs USC Breakdown and Betting Odds
The unranked Washington State Cougars (4-1) are heading to Los Angeles to face the No. 6 USC Trojans (5-0) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Trojans are 13-point favorites over the Cougars with an over/under of 65.5.
USC has won the last three matchups against Washington State. Dating back to 2003, USC has won 12 of 14 games, losing just one at home. USC has won by four scores in each of the last two seasons, scoring 83 points to Washington State’s 27.
Washington State Overview
Washington State is coming off a 19-point home win over Cal. Quarterback Cameron Ward threw for three touchdowns and 343 yards in the win despite throwing two interceptions. Ward has thrown for multiple touchdowns in four of five games including four touchdowns against Colorado State. Receiver Renard Bell has 199 yards over the last two weeks, catching a touchdown against Cal.
On defense, Washington State has allowed 17 or fewer points in four of five games including their win on the road against No. 19 Wisconsin in Week 2. However, they were gashed for 44 points against No. 15 Oregon including 29 points in the fourth quarter.
The Cougars are 4-1 ATS with their lone loss coming as 28.5-point favorites against Idaho. In the two games that the Cougars were underdogs, they won one outright (Wisconsin). This will be the second time that Washington State is more than a touchdown underdog. The under has hit in four of Washington State’s five games.
USC Overview
The Trojans are off to an explosive 5-0 start, fueled by an offense that has scored 42.2 points per game. They have scored 41 or more points in four different games including two of their three Pac-12 games. The Trojans are averaging 480.4 yards per game, bringing a balanced attack. They are averaging just shy of 300 passing yards a game with a robust rushing attack to complement the work through the air. Running back Travis Dye has 422 rushing yards, and Wide receiver Jordan Addison has 442 receiving yards in five games.
USC is led by Heisman candidate Caleb Williams. Williams has thrown for 1,402 yards and 12 touchdowns so far, only throwing one interception in 159 pass attempts. The Oklahoma transfer has also run for three touchdowns. Last week, Williams threw for 348 yards in USC’s home win against Arizona State.
While USC is 5-0, they have been favored in all five games. They began 3-0 ATS, but they have lost their last two games ATS including a 3-point win at Oregon State. The over has hit in three of five games including two of three home games.
TakingVegas.com Pick: Washington State +13
While USC has won their last two games, they have failed to cover. We like Washington State +13 for Saturday night. The Cougars have covered the spread in both games they were underdogs. When they were 17.5-point road underdogs in Madison, Wisconsin, they stunned the Badgers. Washington State has covered the spread in four straight games.
USC’s high-powered offense could cause issues for Washington State, but Washington State has scored 28 or more points in three straight weeks. USC has allowed 25 or more points in two out of three games in the conference. Points will be easy to come by, so back the Cougars to stay within 13 points.
