Pac-12 Championship Game Prediction
Will the USC Trojans cover as a small favorite tonight when they take on the Stanford Cardinal in the Pac-12 Championship Game? Kickoff for tonight’s game is set for 8:00 p.m. ET.
ODDSMAKERS LIKE: USC. According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Trojans are now 4-point favorites to beat the Cardinal, which opened as a 3.5-point underdog. As for the total, the number hit the board at 57 but was bet up a full point to 58.
Bet the Pac-12 Championship Game
THE PUBLIC LIKES: USC. As of Friday morning, 64% of tickets are on the Trojans to cover the spread.
HISTORICAL TRENDS LIKE: The over. In the last 23 meetings between these two teams, the over cashed 16 times.
WHO WE LIKE: USC. Don’t fall for the Stanford revenge angle. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Trojans dominated both lines of scrimmage, which has been a staple for David Shaw’s team for years. Essentially, USC beat Stanford at its own game when these two teams played in Week 2, a 42-24 Trojans romp at home.
Granted, with Palo Alto so close, this is almost a home game of sorts for the Cardinal. I don’t care. Bryce Love still isn’t 100% and this isn’t the most talented Stanford team Shaw has had in recent years. USC has multiple ways to win offensively, whether it’s on the ground with Ronald Jones or through the air with Sam Darnold. Despite this being a revenge spot for the Cardinal, I favor the Trojans to win by a touchdown-plus.
The Cardinal is 2-7-1 against the spread in its last 10 games following a win and is 0-5 at the betting window in its last five games coming off a successful cover in its previous game. The Trojans, meanwhile, have covered in five of their last six games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game. USC is also well-rested having played UCLA two weeks ago, where as Stanford is coming off games against Cal and Notre Dame the past two weeks.
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREDICTION: USC TROJANS -4