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Week one continues on Sunday night in Las Vegas as USC faces LSU. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a USC-LSU prediction and pick.
After the 2021 season, Lincoln Riley shocked the college football world by leaving Oklahoma and becoming the head coach at USC. His first season went well, going 11-3 after a loss in the Cotton Bowl. Last year, USC started strong. They were 6-0, but struggled in their last two wins, beating Colorado by just seven and then needing three overtimes to beat Arizona. From there, they would lose five of their last six games, with the only win being a one-point win over Cal. They would then play Louisville in the Holiday Bowl, winning 42-28.
Meanwhile, LSU just finished their second season under Brian Kelly. It was a 10-4 season with a Citrus Bowl win in year one. Last year started with a loss to Florida State, but they would find their footing. They would lose later to Ole Miss and Alabama, but make it to the ReliaQuest Bowl, where they would beat Wisconsin, finishing the season 10-3.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: USC-LSU Odds
USC: +4.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +142
LSU: -4.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -172
Over: 64.5 (-110)
Under: 64.5 (-110)
How to Watch USC vs. LSU
Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
TV: ABC
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
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Why USC Could Cover The Spread/Win
USC has lost their do-it-all start quarterback, Caleb William, to the NFL. Now, it is time for Miller Moss to take over. Moss did not get a lot of time last year, but shined in the bowl game win over Louisville. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 372 yards and six touchdowns in the game while throwing just one interception. Overall, he has 681 yards and seven scores on the year. His top targets will be Duce Robinson and Zachariah Branch. Robinson brought in 16 receptions last year, but it was for 351 yards and two scores. Meanwhile, Brown brought in 29 receptions for 305 yards and two scores as well. Further, tight end Lake McRee should be featured. He has 26 receptions for 262 yards and a score.
With the top two backs gone for USC, the top returning back is Quinten Joyner. He ran for 125 yards last year and a touchdown. Woody Marks also comes in from Mississippi State. He has run for 1,883 yards and 22 scores over four years. Further, he brought in 214 receptions for 1,225 yards and five scores. They will be behind an offensive line that brings back two starters in Jonah Monheim at center and guard Emmanuel Pregnon.
The defense was a struggle last year. They were 118th in the nation in points allowed, and 116th in total defense. The defense does bring back Jamil Muhammed. He was solid last year, coming away with 6.5 sacks plus two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. In the secondary, there will be a reliance on Marcelles Williams this year. The freshman corner is quick and has solid ball skills. He will be looking to make an immediate impact for USC this year.
Why LSU Could Cover The Spread/Win
LSU is replacing a star quarterback of their own as well. Jayden Daniel is off to the NFL, and Garrett Nussmeier will be taking over. Like Miller Moss, Nussmeier had a stellar bowl game. He completed 31 of 45 passes for 395 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Unlike Miller Moss, he has much more experience playing for LSU. Nessmeier has seen action in each of the last three seasons. In his career, he has completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 1,720 yards and 11 scores. He does have seven interceptions though.
He will also be without the top two receivers from last year with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas off to the NFL. He will have Kyren Lacy. Lacy had 55 receptions last year for 558 yards and scored seven times. CJ Daniels will join him coming in from Liberty. Daniels had 55 receptions for 1,067 yards and ten scores last year. LSU also has a strong o-line, with Will Campbell potentially a top-ten pick anchoring the line. This will help the combination of Josh Williams and Noah Cain, who ran for just over 400 yards and eight scores last year.
The major issue for LSU last year was the defense. They gave up over 2,000 yards on the ground last year. Harold Perkins is back at linebacker though. He had 5.5 sacks last year, with 74 total tackles. Plus he picked off a pass and forced three fumbles. Greg Penn III is his running mate. He was second on the team in tackles, while also having four sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble last year.
Final USC-LSU Prediction & Pick
Both teams have the same weak spot in this game, the defense. USC had an awful defense almost around last year. Their strength should be the pass rush, but they are facing a solid LSU line. LSU struggled to stop the run, but they also struggled to stop the pass. They will be relying on young corners who do not have much experience in this game to fix that. Further, both offensive units have new players coming in, but, both units also saw those offensive units shine in bowl games last year. This should be a high-scoring game, so take the over in this one.
Final USC-LSU Prediction & Pick: Over 64.5 (-110)
