by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Oct 08, 2024
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 12, 2024
Venue: LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: PSU -5, USC +5; Over/Under: 48.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: PSU -5.5, USC +5.5; Over/Under: 48 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: PSU -5.5, USC +5.5; Over/Under: 48.5 points
Season Record
Penn State Nittany Lions: 5-0 (2-0) (4th place, Big Ten)
USC Trojans: 3-2 (1-2) (12th place, Big Ten)
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Recent Form
Penn State Nittany Lions: won their last game at home against the UCLA Bruins 27-11.
USC Trojans: lost their last game on the road against the Minnesota Golden Gophers 24-17.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs USC Trojans Preview and Analysis
Penn State is entering this game with a 5-0 record overall and they have a 2-0 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 1-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against UCLA 27-11. Drew Allar was the starting QB and he completed 17/24 passes for 237 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Kaytron Allen led the team in rushing yards with 78 and 1 TD. Liam Clifford led the receivers with 107 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Tony Rojas led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Jaylen Reed led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
USC is entering this game with a 3-2 record overall and they have a 1-2 record in their conference games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 0-2 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against Minnesota 24-17. Miller Moss was the starting QB and he completed 23/38 passes for 200 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Jo'quavious Marks led the team in rushing yards with 134 and 1 TD. Kyron Hudson led the receivers with 54 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Easton Mascarenas-Arnold led the defense in that game with 8 solo tackles and 6 assisted tackles while Devan Thompkins led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Penn State vs USC Prediction
The current betting odds have Penn State listed as a 5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Penn State has looked great in their games this season with their 5-0 record overall and their 2-0 conference record. They are coming off a win against UCLA in their last one and they have also beaten a solid Illinois team at home. Meanwhile, USC has looked good in their games this season with their 3-2 record overall, but they have struggled in their first season of being in the Big Ten. They are only 1-2 in their conference games and have lost both of their road games against Big Ten opponents. Their only conference win this season did come at home, but they also got off to a really slow start and had to come back in that one. They won't be able to do that here as Penn State has one of the best teams in the nation and a much better defense that won't let USC come back like that if they fall behind. Penn State has struggled more on offense this season and this will be their first road conference game of the year, but the talent is still a lot better on this team. USC has struggled on offense themselves against some of the Big Ten defenses they have faced and this is going to be one of the best defenses they see all season. Penn State needs to win this game as they have their eyes set on finally winning the Big Ten this season so don't expect them to get tripped up against a USC team that doesn't have everything figured out on both sides of the ball. The best way to place a bet here is on Penn State to cover the spread in this game.
Penn State USC Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 12, 2024 (3:30 pm ET start time) is Penn State 24 USC 13.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Penn State Nittany Lions USC Trojans prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
Penn State Nittany Lions: 20-10 ATS in all lined games. 19-7 ATS as a favorite. 8-2 ATS in road lined games. 12-5 ATS after playing a game at home. 7-3 OVER in road lined games. 6-2 OVER off a home win against a conference rival. 4-1 OVER versus good rushing teams - averaging 4.75 rushing yards/carry or more.
USC Trojans: 3-8 ATS after playing their last game on the road. 3-8 ATS versus good rushing teams - averaging 4.75 rushing yards/carry or more. 3-8 ATS versus good offensive teams - averaging 425 yards/game or more. 23-9 OVER in all lined games. 11-5 OVER in home lined games. 16-6 OVER against conference opponents. 9-2 OVER vs. good offensive teams - scoring 31 or more points/game.
Key Injuries
Penn State Nittany Lions: A. Rappleyea (TE) Out - Undisclosed. D. Cook (DT) Questionable - Undisclosed. P. Gonzalez (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Jackson (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Cunningham (DT) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Williams (DE) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Andrews (DT) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Smolik (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Robinson (DE) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Robinson (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. S. Siafa (DT) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Wylie (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. Z. Fisher (DE) Questionable - Undisclosed. X. Gilliam (DT) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Cross (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed.
USC Trojans: W. Matthews (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Cobb (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“I think our third-quarter defense all year has been ridiculous.” - James Franklin after his team’s win against UCLA in their last game.
“We’re still putting ourselves in position to win these games. We need to make one more play to push ourselves over the hump.” - Lincoln Riley after his team’s loss against Minnesota in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Penn State Nittany Lions
WR Wallace III, Harrison
WR Fleming, Julian
WR Clifford, Liam
TE Warren, Tyler
QB Allar, Drew
RB Singleton, Nicholas
USC Trojans
WR Hudson, Kyron
WR Lane, Ja'Kobi
WR Lemon, Makai
WR Branch, Zachariah
TE McRee, Lake
QB Moss, Miller
RB Marks, Woody
Statistical Leaders
Penn State Nittany Lions
Passing: D. Allar (1101)
Rushing: N. Singleton (408)
Receiving: T. Warren (289)
Touchdowns: N. Singleton (5)
USC Trojans
Passing: M. Moss (1398)
Rushing: W. Marks (468)
Receiving: J. Lane (234)
Touchdowns: J. Lane (4)
Coaches:
Penn State Nittany Lions: James Franklin (11th season)
USC Trojans: Lincoln Riley (3rd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
