Notre Dame vs. USC Pick
No. 12 USC looks to light up another opponent when it hosts Notre Dame this Saturday at 3:30PM ET.
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, USC is the clear favorite in this game, as the Trojans are getting odds of -17.5 points against Notre Dame. The over/under total for the game is listed at 57.5 points. Notre Dame has won three of the last four meetings with USC and the two have hit the over in their last two meetings.
Notre Dame is coming off a 34-31 loss to Virginia Tech last week to drop to 4-7 on the season. The Irish are 6-5 with the under this season, having hit it in five of their last six games. It’s already been a tough week for Notre Dame, as the NCAA forced the Irish to forfeit wins from the 2012 and 2013 season. That just adds to the turmoil Brian Kelly is facing right now. Notre Dame is now giving up 26.3 points and 375.8 yards per game on defense while the offense is averaging 31.3 points and 418.5 yards per contest. DeShone Kizer has thrown for 2,705 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 509 yards to lead the offense. Josh Adams has added 753 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Equanimeous St. Brown is the leading receiver with 51 catches for 867 yards and eight touchdowns.
USC is coming off a 36-14 win at UCLA last week to move to 8-3 on the season. The Trojans have now won seven straight games and they are 9-2 with the under this year, having hit it in seven straight games. USC has been very solid on defense, allowing just 21.7 points and 354.5 yards per game this season. Offensively, USC is putting up 31.8 points and 474.1 yards per contest. Quarterback Sam Darnold has thrown for 2,428 yards and 24 touchdowns while Ronald Jones II has run for 893 yards and 10 scores. JuJu Smith-Schuster is the leading receiver with 59 catches for 758 yards and eight touchdowns.
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Notre Dame is likely to struggle somewhat on offense against this USC defense, as the Trojans have held six of their last seven opponents to 20 points or less. The Irish have a defense that has been improving a little bit, but not enough to slow down USC regularly. The Trojans should be able to put up a high total, which combined with a few scores from Notre Dame, should be able to hit the over.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 13 PICK: NOTRE DAME/USC OVER 57.5