The Stanford Cardinal take on the USC Trojans. Check out our college football odds series for our Stanford USC prediction and pick. Find how to watch Stanford USC.

The USC Trojans are heavily favored in this game, but the Stanford Cardinal are coming off a 37-24 win at Hawaii in which they led 37-16 in the fourth quarter before giving up a late cosmetic touchdown. Stanford could be better than a lot of people thought. The Cardinal were the consensus last-place pick in the Pac-12. Stanford has an excellent 2024 recruiting class coming in under new coach Troy Taylor, but this season was expected to be brutal on The Farm. The win over Hawaii — not just the fact that it happened, but that it was so convincing and easy — suggests that this team might have more talent than previously anticipated. It invites just a small piece of intrigue to this game. USC might be in for more of a test than anyone was willing to admit a few weeks ago. The Trojans' defense looked fine against Nevada last week, but Stanford is a lot better than Nevada. Will Stanford be good enough to make this game interesting in the third or fourth quarter? That is probably the question which sums up the drama of this game and surrounds the attempt to evaluate these two teams.

Here are the Stanford-USC College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Football Odds: Stanford-USC Odds

Stanford Cardinal: +29.5 (-110)

USC Trojans: -29.5 (-110)

Over: 69.5 (-110)

Under: 69.5 (-110)

How To Watch Stanford vs. USC

TV: Fox

Stream: Fox Sports app

Time: 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT

*Watch Stanford vs USC LIVE on fuboTV (click for free trial)*

Why Stanford Could Cover the Spread

The point spread is almost 30. USC's defense has a lot to prove. The Trojans might be better than they were last year, but we don't know that just yet. Stanford just scored 37 points — against Hawaii and not USC, but still, that's impressive.

If Stanford can merely score 24 points, USC would need to score in the mid-to-high 50s to cover the spread. If Stanford scores 30, USC would need to score in the low-to-mid 60s to cover the spread. We know USC will score, but Stanford has a chance to score enough points to cover. USC also faces some injury questions, with linebackers Mason Cobb and Eric Gentry being uncertain to play. We will probably learn about their playing status shortly before kickoff. If those players are out, USC loses a sure tackler (Cobb) and a fast linebacker who can be valuable and effective in pass coverage (Gentry) due to his long arms and large strides. Stanford's offense has a very realistic chance of scoring close to 30 points in this game.

Why USC Could Cover the Spread

The Trojans are going to score at least 56 points. They scored 56 in their first win of the season versus San Jose State, and they scored 66 last week versus Nevada. USC scoring over 50 points should be expected, not merely hoped for, against the lower-tier teams on its schedule. Stanford is one of those lower-tier teams. Caleb Williams is an elite player with a deep wide receiver room and strong running backs, playing behind a veteran, proven offensive line. As long as the offensive line avoids significant injuries, this offense should be outstanding. The USC defense won't need to be spectacular to cover the spread. If Stanford scores 21 points, USC should score at least 52 and cover. It's only if Stanford scores 30 or more than the USC spread bet is in trouble.

Final Stanford-USC Prediction & Pick

The over has easily cashed in USC's first two games. Why go away from a successful and proven formula?

Final Stanford-USC Prediction & Pick: Over 69.5