USC vs Colorado Prediction - College Football Picks 9/30/23

Colorado Buffaloes (3-1) vs USC Trojans (4-0)

Game Info: Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 12:00 pm (Folsom Field)

Betting Odds: Colorado Buffaloes +21.5 -- Over/Under: 73.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The USC Trojans and Colorado Buffaloes face off on Saturday in a Week 5 college football showdown at Folsom Field.

Can USC Win A Title?

USC sits with a 44-0 record and they have confidence that they can compete for a National Championship this season. In this game though, even though USC won, they didn’t play all that well. The defense gave up 28 points to Arizona State and they ended up winning by only 14 points. Caleb Williams still did complete 20 of his 31 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns. USC is averaging 55 points while their defense is giving up 20 points per game. There is no doubt in this game that USC is going to want to really make a statement about this Colorado team.

USC Betting Trends

USC has won each of its last 14 games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
USC has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five games at Folsom Field.
USC has won the first half in three of its last four road games against conference opponents.
Ten of USC's last 11 games as a favorite have gone OVER the total points line.

How Does Colorado Bounce Back?

The big question heading into this game for Colorado is how do they bounce back. Heading into the last game against Oregon they were flying high. It was clear though that Oregon took that personally and Colorado still has some issues that need to be figured out. Colorado’s offense only managed six points while the defense gave up 42. Shedeur Sanders completed 23 of his 33 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. Travis Hunter has made it clear that he wants to win to play this weekend, but he has been ruled out.

Colorado Betting Trends

Colorado has lost 11 of its last 12 games against AP-ranked teams.
Colorado has failed to cover the spread in each of its last five games as an underdog against top-15 AP-ranked teams.
Colorado has lost the first half in 10 of its last 11 games against conference opponents.
Four of Colorado's last five games as an underdog have gone OVER the total points line.

USC vs Colorado Facts

Colorado suffered the most losses by a margin of 20+ points of any FBS team last season (10).
Colorado suffered the most losses by a margin of 25+ points of any FBS team last season (9).
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).

Shane’s Free Pick

Colorado talked a lot of talk early in the season but it’s not going to hold up against the top teams in the Pac-12. This Colorado defense has major issues, and Caleb Williams is going to put on a little show here. USC is averaging 55 points per game and they are going to have no issue running up the score here. Colorado’s offense is going to struggle for the second week in a row and it will be USC that secures the victory. Back USC against the spread.