Utah vs. USC Spread Prediction
The Utah Utes will host the USC Trojans in Pac-12 play tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET. Are they laying too many points as a home favorite or will the Utes cover the number?
Game Snapshot
405 USC Trojans vs. 406 Utah Utes
8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, October 20, 2018
Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Utes are 7-point favorites to beat the Trojans. The total, meanwhile, sits at 48 points. As of this writing, 61% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Utes.
USC Trojans
USC senior LB Porter Gustin suffered a season-ending fractured ankle late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s victory over Colorado. “We are all kind of numb right now, to be honest with you,” USC head coach Clay Helton said. “He’s a force of nature, and you think of him as a superhero, as Thor … and to know that he’s not going to be with us for the remaining part of the season is obviously something that hurts us all.” Gustin will undergo surgery and then will begin rehabilitation to prepare for the NFL draft. This is obviously a tough blow for USC, as well as to Gustin’s NFL stock. Gustin has been one of the Pac-12’s best defenders the past three years when he’s been healthy, but he struggles to stay on the field. Gustin was limited to only four games last year due to toe and biceps injuries. He also suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee during camp this summer.
Utah Utes
Utah junior WR Siaosi Mariner will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s contest with USC. Mariner (6’2/193) hauled in six catches for 73 yards in the season-opener against Weber State, but he has just one catch for nine yards since, and he hasn’t played in three of the past four games with the undisclosed injury. Mariner was reportedly close to playing last week against Arizona, but he ultimately was held out. We could see him back on the field for a big, big game against the Trojans.
Betting Trends
USC
The Trojans are 2-7-1 against the spread in their last 10 road games.
Utah
The Utes are 7-1 against the number in their last eight games after allowing 100 yards rushing in their previous contest.
Prediction
This feels like a lot of points to lay in a Pac-12 rivalry like this but Utah is so stout defensively that I’m going to take the risk. The Utes own the No. 2-ranked rush defense in the nation, allowing just 83.2 yards per game. They’re also No. 2 in red zone defense and while USC ended Colorado’s unbeaten streak a week ago, a lot of people figured that would happen to the one-dimensional Buffs. USC is just 1-9 against the spread in its last 10 road games as underdog of 10 or fewer points.
College Football Prediction: Utah Utes -7