USC vs. California: Betting odds, lines and picks against the spread

Dave Tuley
·2 min read
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 8, 2022: USC Trojans wide receiver Kyron Hudson (10) leads the team out.
USC wide receiver Kyron Hudson leads his teammates onto the field before a game against Washington State on Oct. 8. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

No. 9 USC (7-1, 5-1 in the Pac-12) has been installed as 21-point home favorites vs. Cal (3-5, 1-4) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Trojans are in second place in the conference, half a game ahead of UCLA and Utah which have played one fewer game. They’re coming off a 45-37 win at Arizona on Saturday in which they failed to cover as 14-point favorites, so this week’s spread is a higher hill to climb. However, Cal enters this game on a four-game losing streak, failing to cover in three of those games. Last week, Oregon beat Cal 42-24 and covered as a 16.5-point favorite.

The vast majority of early bettors have been laying the points with USC. Seventy-four percent of the bets at DraftKings have been on USC -21 as of Thursday morning; however, 54% of the money (usually the sharper side) has been on the Golden Bears. For the most up-to-date betting trends, see VSiN’s college football betting splits page.

USC’s win at Arizona wasn’t as easy as expected, but Lincoln Riley’s offense still racked up 621 yards led by quarterback Caleb Williams throwing for 411 yards and five touchdowns while Travis Dye ran for 113 yards and a touchdown. The main concern is that the Trojans defense allowed 543 yards to keep the Wildcats in the game.

The over-under has been set at 61 points with 81% of the bets and 90% of the money on the over, which is understandable considering how both teams have been involved in shootouts lately.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.