Nevada vs USC Prediction - College Football Picks 9/2/23

The Nevada Wolf Pack and USC Trojans face off on Saturday in a Week 1 college football showdown at LA Memorial Coliseum.

Williams Can Win the Heisman 

USC has already played one game so far this season and Caleb Williams put on another big show. USC faced off against San Jose State, and they were able to secure the 56-28 victory. Williams completed 18 of his 25 passes for 278 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Williams is going to have a huge season, but this season might actually come down to how well the defense can do. The first game showed that the defense is still a big issue giving up 28 points to San Jose State. They allowed three touchdowns through the air and another one on the ground. In this game they need the defense to be better. 

USC Betting Trends

• USC has won each of its last eight games at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
• USC has failed to cover the spread in each of its last three games.
• USC has won the first quarter in each of its last four games against opponents from the Mountain West Conference.
• USC has won the first half in each of its last five games against non-conference opponents.
• Ten of USC's last 11 games have gone OVER the total points line.

Nevada is in a Bad Spot

This Nevada team finished last season with a 2-10 record and although they might be a little better this season, it’s hard to imagine they are going to a bowl game. The strength of the team last year was with the winning game, but even that needs to be replaced. Toa Taua rushed for 1429 yards last year but he’s gone. Sean Dollars came in from Oregon and he’s going to need to be an x-factor in this game. Under center for Nevada will be Brendan Lewis who played for Colorado last season. On defense they really struggled stopping the pass, and that could be an issue here.