Stanford vs USC Prediction - College Football Picks 9/9/23

USC Trojans (2-0) vs Stanford Cardinal (1-0)

Game Info: Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 10:30 pm (United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum)

Betting Odds: USC Trojans -29 -- Over/Under: 70.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Stanford Cardinal will play the USC Trojans in a PAC-12 game on Saturday night at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Stanford opened up their season with a nice win on the road in Hawaii, while USC has won the first two games and their offense has scored 122 points through two games. 

Stanford Preview

The Stanford Cardinal are 1-0 this season after they defeated Hawaii by a score of 37-24 last week. Stanford led this game 21-10 at the half and they were able to maintain that lead in the second half. The Cardinal were up by 21 points late in the fourth quarter, but they allowed a touchdown with about a minute left to make the score seem closer than it was. Stanford out gained Hawaii by a total of 406-350 and did not commit a turnover in the game. The Cardinal passed for 248 yards and rushed for 158 yards, while going 6-14 on third down attempts. Ashton Daniels threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 42 rushing yards. Casey Filkins rushed for 67 yards, while Benjamin Yurosek caught nine passes for 138 yards and one score in the win. Stanford is not expected to be very good this season, but they played very well against Hawaii in their first game. The Cardinal will have to bring the same defensive intensity in this game, as they face one of the best offenses in the country. 

USC Preview

The USC Trojans are 2-0 this season after they beat Nevada by a score of 66-14 in their last game. USC led this game by a score of 35-7 at the half and scored four touchdowns and one field goal in the second half for the easy win. USC out gained Nevada by a total of 668-360 and turned the ball over once. USC is averaging 61 points per game with 397 passing yards per game and 187.5 rushing yards per game, while only allowing 21 points against per game. Caleb Williams has thrown for 597 yards and nine touchdowns, while also rushing for 40 yards for the Trojans. MarShawn Lloyd has rushed for 118 yards and one touchdown, while Tahj Washington has caught five passes for 160 yards and three scores for USC. USC defeated San Jose State in Week 0 by a score of 56-28. USC is great on the offensive side of the ball, but their defense is not the best. With that being said, Caleb Williams is going to lead this USC offense to being one of the best in the country. 

USC Trojans Team Facts

  • USC has won each of its last nine games at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
  • USC has covered the spread in four of its last five September games against non-AP-ranked teams.
  • USC has won the first half in five of its last six games against conference opponents at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
  • Each of USC's last nine games as a favorite have gone OVER the total points line.

Stanford Cardinal Team Facts

  • Stanford has lost 14 of its last 15 games against conference opponents.
  • Stanford has failed to cover the spread in 14 of its last 15 games against conference opponents.
  • Stanford has lost the first half in 13 of its last 15 games against conference opponents.
  • Each of Stanford's last six September games as an underdog against top-15 AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.

Matchup/League Facts

  • USC ranked 5th among FBS teams for H1 points per game last season (21.5).
  • USC ranked T5th among FBS teams for H1 win percentage last season (.786).

Pick

USC comes into this game as a huge favorite once again, after blowing out Nevada and San Jose State. The Trojans were able to cover the spread against Nevada, but allowed a late touchdown to San Jose State to lose that one against the spread. Stanford played well in their first game, but this is quite the jump up in competition after playing Hawaii last week. Stanford should be able to move the ball on this USC defense, but USC is also going to have plenty of offensive success. I am going to take the points with Stanford in this game, as this is a crazy spread for a conference game, especially with a defense that can struggle. Take Stanford here. 

David’s Pick Stanford +29

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The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

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