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In the late slate at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, we’ll be treated to a Pac-12 rivalry showdown as the No. 14 USC Trojans welcome the Stanford Cardinal to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
USC was able to successfully dictate the pace of its season opener last Saturday in a 30-7 victory over defending Mountain West Conference Champion San Jose State. The Trojan defense held the Spartans to just 3-14 on third downs on picked off quarterback Nick Starkel twice. On offense, the Kedon Slovis to Drake London connection was working and working well as the receiver finished his day with 12 receptions for 137 yards.
At AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, Stanford looked lifeless in a non-conference season opener against Kansas State. They held possession for the majority of the game but didn’t put any points on the board until late in the fourth quarter. Notably, the Cardinal offense managed just 39 rushing yards total on 1.8 yards per carry. They have to come stronger than that when stepping up in talent against USC.
Here’s all the data you’ll want, and a pick for the game!
SP+ Rankings
Stanford: 90th overall, 76th offense, 98th defense
USC: 9th overall, 7th offense, 19th defense
Injury update
Stanford
Safety Jonathan Mcgill Out Indefinitely – Foot
CB Salim Turner Muhammad Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
WR Michael Wilson Ques Sat – Foot
USC
DL Jacob Lichtenstein Ques Sat – Upper Body
WR Gary Bryant Jr. Prob Sat – Hamstring
CB Chris Steele Ques Sat – Foot
Safety Isaiah Pola Mao Out Indefinitely – Illness
RB Kenan Christon Doub Sat – Personal
TE Josh Falo Ques Sat – Undisclosed
DL Nick Figueroa Ques Sat – Shoulder
LB Drake Jackson Ques Sat – Thigh
DL Korey Foreman Ques Sat – Groin
ATS/Total
Against The Spread
Stanford: 0-1 ATS
USC: 1-0 ATS
Total
Stanford: Over 0-1
USC: Over 0-1
Returning/Overall Talent from 247Sports
Stanford: 26th overall, 24th offense, 28th defense
USC: 8th overall, 9th offense, 6th defense
Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: USC -17
Total: 53.5
Moneyline: USC -900, Stanford +600
Opening line: USC -14.5
Opening total: 51.5
Weather
66 degrees, 5 MPH wind SSW, 2% chance of rain
The Pick
Under 53.5
USC is heavy favorite here and I think similar to their game against San Jose State, they’ll get control of this one early and dictate the pace. Stanford has the talent to put a few touchdowns on the board but SC head coach Clay Helton will throw this one into neutral once they have a comfortable enough lead. Think something along the lines of 35-14 where the under just hits.
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