The USC Trojans are set to face the Arizona State Sun Devils this weekend. Check out our college football odds series, which includes our USC-Arizona State prediction, odds, and pick.

USC is 4-4 and needs to find two wins on its remaining schedule to earn a bowl bid. The Trojans have no gimmies on their schedule. Every game will be tough, including this one. The Trojans' season was knocked off course in Week 2 when the Men of Troy lost to Stanford. Clay Helton was fired as head coach shortly thereafter, creating a disjointed feel to the season which has never ceased to exist since that mid-September bombshell. Players have been placed in emotional limbo, not feeling supremely motivated due to the fact that they know their coaching staff and schemes will be different in 2022. There will probably be a huge transfer portal exodus from USC. The coaching staff will be cleaned out. The upcoming upheaval explains why USC has played so poorly and inconsistently all year, despite having high-end recruits most Pac-12 schools lack.

Arizona State has also underperformed relative to expectations. The Sun Devils have lost three games and will almost certainly fail to win the Pac-12 South, which was their foremost goal this season. Head coach Herman Edwards hasn't been fired, but it seems highly unlikely he will coach this team next year, given the NCAA's ongoing investigation into alleged COVID-19 recruiting violations from 2020. Arizona State certainly seemed to quit on Edwards in a brutal blowout loss at home to Washington State last weekend. The Sun Devils committed four turnovers in their first six possessions and fell behind 28-0. It has been a miserable year for both teams, which is why a USC-Arizona State prediction should be made carefully.

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the USC-Arizona State odds:

College Football odds: USC-Arizona State Odds

USC: +9.5 (-110)

Arizona State: -9.5 (-110)

Over: 59.5 (-110)

Under: 59.5 (-110)

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Why USC Could Cover the Spread

The Arizona State Sun Devils could quit. That's really USC's best chance. It sounds harsh, even mean, but it's reality. ASU put forth very little effort and stumbled out of the gate against Washington State. A parade of turnovers and careless mistakes revealed a team which had lost interest in playing football. Keep in mind that Arizona State was coming off an idle week. The team gave up 28 straight points in a loss to Utah on Oct. 16, then had two weeks to correct its flaws and responded with that embarrassing display against Washington State. Maybe the Sun Devils will rally around their embattled head coach, but morale is very low in Tempe. In a battle between two teams which are emotionally drained and have absorbed several gut punches this year, Arizona State could be the team which plays with even less passion. That's part of the calculus in a USC-Arizona State pick.

Why Arizona State Could Cover the Spread

The USC defense is horrible. The Trojans have hemorrhaged on defense in nearly every game over the past six weeks, the exception being a game against a brutally bad Colorado offense. Oregon State, Utah, Notre Dame, and even lowly Arizona have scored at least 30 points against coordinator Todd Orlando's group. USC gets pushed around at the line of scrimmage and loses one-on-one matchups. Arizona State's offensive line can control USC's defensive front and establish a rushing attack which will set up play action and deep shots for ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels. Even with all of Arizona State's problems, the Sun Devils should be able to score at least 35 points. 

Final USC-Arizona State Prediction & Pick

Neither team is playing with a lot of passion or pride right now, with both seasons in ruins and the coaching situations uncertain for 2022. If neither team is especially motivated, that points to a game in which the defenses won't dig in or put up much of a fight. Picking a winner is tricky, given the uncertainty surrounding each team's level of motivation. Picking the over seems like the best angle on this game.

Final USC-Arizona State Pick: Over 59.5