by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Oct 19, 2023
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Saturday, October 21, 2023
Venue: LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Utah +7, USC -7; Over/Under: 56 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Utah +7, USC -7; Over/Under: 56 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Utah +7, USC -7; Over/Under: 56 points
Season Record
Utah Utes: 5-1 (2-1) (5th place, Pac-12)
USC Trojans: 6-1 (4-0) (2nd place, Pac-12)
Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Kyle Hunter is on a HOT STREAK in CFB as he is 87-46 his last 133 CFB Plays! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.
Recent Form
Utah Utes: won their last game at home against the California Golden Bears 34-14.
USC Trojans: lost their last game on the road against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 48-20.
Utah Utes vs USC Trojans Preview and Analysis
Utah is entering this game with a 5-1 record overall and they have a 2-1 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 1-1 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 California 34-14. Bryson Barnes was the starting QB and he completed 15/21 passes for 128 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Sione Vaki led the team in rushing yards with 158 and 2 TDs. Mikey Matthews led the receivers with 53 receiving yards on 7 receptions. Karene Reid led the defense in that game with 3 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Van Fillinger led the defense in sacks with 2. Lander Barton came away with the only interception for them in that game.
USC is entering this game with a 6-1 record overall and they have a 4-0 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 2-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against Notre Dame 48-20. Caleb Williams was the starting QB and he completed 23/37 passes for 199 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. MarShawn Lloyd led the team in rushing yards with 46 and 1 TD. Michael Jackson III led the receivers with 51 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Tackett Curtis led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack in that one. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Utah vs USC Prediction
The current betting odds have USC listed as a 7 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. USC is 6-1 overall this season and they are 4-0 in their conference games but they haven't looked that good at all on defense all year and they were finally exposed by Notre Dame last week when they played a decent team. USC still has a really good offense though and they are going to be looking to bounce back after losing, especially against this Utah team that tormented them last season. Utah is 5-1 this season and they are 2-1 in their conference games but their defense has really been keeping them in a lot of their wins since their offense has been struggling without Cam Rising. Utah will be able to move the ball on this USC defense but their offense isn't going to put up a ton of points in this game and the USC offense will be looking to have a much better performance at home. USC is going to overpower Utah with their offense in this home game and eventually USC will pull away where Utah can't come back without Rising playing. The best way to place a bet here is on USC to cover the spread in this game.
Utah USC Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 21, 2023 (8:00 pm ET start time) is USC 38 Utah 20.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Utah Utes USC Trojans prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
Utah Utes: 70-42 ATS as an underdog. 18-10 ATS in a road game where the total is between 52.5 and 56. 5-1 OVER in a road game where the total is between 49.5 and 56. 14-8 OVER after playing a conference game.
USC Trojans: 8-15 ATS against conference opponents. 2-9 ATS after playing their last game on the road. 24-9 OVER in all games. 20-6 OVER as a favorite. 14-4 OVER in home games.
Key Injuries
Utah Utes: T. Yassmin (TE) out for season - Undisclosed. C. Vincent (RB) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. M. Pittman (WR) out for season - Undisclosed. C. Curry (RB) out for season - Undisclosed. L. Fano (DE) out for season - Knee. B. Rose (QB) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. C. Rising (QB) Out indefinitely - Knee. B. Kuithe (TE) Out indefinitely - Knee. M. Bernard (RB) out for season - Undisclosed.
USC Trojans: K. Foreman (DL) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. R. Brown (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“He’s the perfect guy for that role and, going forward, you’re going to continue to see him.” - Kyle Whittingham after his team’s win against Cal in their last game.
“Disappointed, certainly not defeated, not demoralized. We’ve obviously got a lot in front of us. This game means a lot. We know it means it a lot to our fan base, it means a lot to college football." - Lincoln Riley after his team’s loss against Notre Dame in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Utah Utes
WR Parks, Money
WR Vele, Devaughn
WR Pittman, Mycah
TE Yassmin, Thomas
TE Kuithe, Brant
QB Rising, Cameron
RB Jackson, Ja'Quinden
USC Trojans
WR Hudson, Kyron
WR Singer, Dorian
WR Williams, Mario
TE McRee, Lake
QB Williams, Caleb
RB Jones, Austin
Statistical Leaders
Utah Utes
Passing: N. Johnson (499)
Rushing: J. Jackson (333)
Receiving: M. Matthews (202)
Touchdowns: N. Johnson (3)
USC Trojans
Passing: C. Williams (2021)
Rushing: M. Lloyd (565)
Receiving: T. Washington (497)
Touchdowns: B. Rice (8)
Coaches:
Utah Utes: Kyle Whittingham (20th season)
USC Trojans: Lincoln Riley (2nd 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.
