No. 7 USC vs. Oregon State picks and best bets for Week 4 Pac-12 matchup

We have an intriguing Pac-12 matchup in the Pacific Northwest on Saturday night as the No. 7 USC Trojans head up the coast to meet the Oregon State Beavers at 9:30 p.m. ET. The game will take place at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, OR, and will air on the Pac-12 Network.

USC (3-0) put on a show for the home crowd last Saturday when plundering Fresno State in a 45-17 victory. Quarterback Caleb Williams had another nice outing, going 25-37 through the air for 284 yards and two touchdowns. The real story of the Trojan offense was the run game, where Austin Jones and Travis Dye both clocked over 100 yards and a touchdown apiece.

Oregon State (3-0) also got busy last Saturday when demolishing 2021 FCS runner-up Montana State in a 68-28 rout. Wide receiver Tre’Shaun Harrison was the star of the show for the offense, catching eight targets for 133 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Beaver defense picked off quarterback Tommy Mellott three times in win.

Here’s all the data you’ll want, and a pick for the game!

SP+ Rankings

USC: 26th overall, 15th offense, 46th defense
Oregon State: 46th overall, 37th offense, 52nd defense

Injury update

USC

LB Romello Height - Out for season (Shoulder)
DB Briton Allen - Questionable (Knee)
LB Chris Thompson Jr. - Questionable (Undisclosed)
WR Michael Jackson III - Questionable (Undisclosed)

Oregon State

TE Luke Musgrave - Out (Undisclosed)
RB Trey Lowe - Out (Undisclosed)
DB Alton Julian - Questionable (Knee)
RB Isaiah Newell - Questionable (Undisclosed)

ATS/Total

Against The Spread

USC: 3-0 ATS
Oregon State: 3-0 ATS

Total

USC: Over 2-1
Oregon State: Over 2-1

Returning/Overall Talent from 247Sports

USC: 75th overall, 69th offense, 94th defense
Oregon State: 32nd overall, 29th offense, 22nd defense

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: USC -6
Total: 70.5
Moneyline: USC -230, Oregon State +195

Opening line: USC -6.5
Opening total: 68

Weather

58 degrees, clear, 7 MPH winds NNW

The Pick

USC -6

This truly has the potential to be a fun, late-night showdown on the west coast. It’s a shame that this is being buried on the Pac-12 Network where a good chunk of the college football audience won’t be able to flip over and watch. Jonathan Smith has Oregon State clicking and they could taken advantage of USC’s spotty defense at certain points of this contest. However, USC has already entered a realm where they’ll be able to win games by simply by its talent advantage on offense. This will be a competitive contest but the Trojans should cover by at least a touchdown.

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