Penn State vs USC Prediction College Football Picks 10/12/24

The Penn State Nittany Lions and the USC Trojans meet in week 7 college football action from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Penn State vs. USC prediction.

Penn State Recap

The Penn State Nittany Lions come into this one looking to build on their 5-0 start to the year after a 27-11 win over UCLA last time out. After this game, Penn State will have a bye before heading out on the road again to take on Wisconsin.

Nittany Lions Balances On Both Ends

Drew Allar has thrown for 1,101 yards, 9 touchdowns, and an interception on 70.9% passing while Nicholas Singleton has rushed for 408 yards and 3 touchdowns and Kaytron Allen has 367 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Tyler Warren leads Penn State’s receiving group with 23 grabs for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns while Omari Evans has 220 receiving yards with a pair of TDs and Harrison Wallace III has 230 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. On defense, Jaylen Reed has a team-high 33 total tackles while Penn State as a unit, has combined for 13 sacks and 4 interceptions as well on the year.

Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win

• Penn State has won each of its last 25 games against non-AP-ranked teams.
• USC has lost each of its last eight October games as an underdog.
• USC has failed to cover the spread in each of its last six games in October.
• Penn State has covered the spread in 15 of its last 18 games against non-AP-ranked teams.

USC Recap

The USC Trojans come into this one looking to find some consistent play, sitting at 3-2 on the year after a 24-17 loss to Minnesota last time out. After this game, the Trojans will head back on the road for a matchup with Maryland.

Trojans In the Middle Of Rough Travel Patch

Miller Moss has thrown for 1,398 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions on 64.5% passing while Woody Marks has a team-high 468 rushing yards with 4 TDs and Quinten Joyner has 212 rushing yards with 2 touchdowns. Ja’Kobi Lane leads USC in receiving with 21 receptions for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns while Zachariah Branch has 227 receiving yards and 21 receptions and Kyron Hudson has 226 receiving yards. Four more Trojans have 100+ receiving yards on the year as well. On defense, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold has a team-high 36 total tackles including 19 solo tackles while Eric Gentry has 2 sacks and Mason Cobb has 2 interceptions. USC’s defense as a whole has combined for 6 sacks and 3 interceptions this season.

Why the USC Trojans will win

• Penn State has lost each of its last five road games in October.
• The underdog has won five of USC’s last seven games.
• The home team has covered the spread in each of USC’s last four games.
• Penn State has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five road games in October.

Penn State vs. USC Prediction

I’m at Penn State here. This is just a horrible travel spot for the Trojans, and I’m buying into this Penn State team. I know there’s usually a spot where Penn State kind of falls flat and disappoints, but I think the Nittany Lions keep it rolling here. The Trojans just have been inconsistent offensively in a lot of spots and I think that Penn State wins this one by a TD. Give me the Nittany Lions here.

Chris Ruffolo's Pick: Penn State -5.5