Betsided

Utah vs. USC Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 8

Can Caleb Williams and the Trojans get back on track after suffering its first loss of the season

By Reed Wallach

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) runs the ball in
Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) runs the ball in / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

USC was humbled on the road against Notre Dame, losing 48-23, stunting any chance of a repeat Heisman Trophy campaign from Caleb Williams.

However, Williams can still lead his Trojans back to the PAC-12 Championship game and USC will restart conference play against Utah, a rematch from last year's title game. The Utes have hung in the PAC-12 title picture despite not having starting quarterback Cam Rising available, but will the team run into trouble against the Trojans?

Here are the odds for this PAC-12 matchup. You can get instant bonus bets upon signing up with FanDuel Sportsbook to wager on this game. All you need to do is sign up with FanDuel below, deposit, and bet $5 and you'll get $200 in bonus bets INSTANTLY!

Utah vs. USC Odds, Spread and Total

USC vs. Utah Betting Trends

  • USC is 2-5 against the spread (ATS) this season
  • Utah is 3-2-1 ATS this season
  • Utah is 0-1 ATS as an underdog this season
  • USC has gone OVER in six of seven games
  • Utah has gone UNDER in five of six games

Utah vs. USC How to Watch

  • Date: Saturday, October 21st
  • Game Time: 8:00 PM EST
  • Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • How to Watch (TV): FOX
  • Utah Record: 5-1
  • USC Record: 6-1

Utah vs. USC Key Players to Watch

Utah

Nate Johnson: Despite not playing last week against Cal, Johnson is No. 2 on the depth chart behind Cam Rising (who hasn't played this season despite being QB1 all year). Johnson has played a handful of games, completing only 54% of his passes but is more of a run-first quarterback, rushing nine or more times in four of five appearances. He'll try to attack on the ground against a USC defense that is outside the top 100 in EPA/Rush.

USC

Caleb Williams: Williams had arguably his worst game in college, completing 62% of his passes for 199 yards with three interceptions, against Notre Dame. Williams was sacked six sacks against a physical Notre Dame front as the Trojans fell behind early with turnovers and couldn't catch up. Williams is still putting up monster numbers and will now turn his attention to PAC-12 play.

Utah vs. USC Prediction and Pick

From our betting preview for EVERY Top 25 matchup:

Utah has done its damage at home this season despite not having quarterback Cam Rising. The team has battled injuries on both sides of the ball and a lackluster offense that is 116th in EPA/Play.

While I don't look favorably on this USC defense, the unit is 105th in EPA/Play and is one of the worst tackling units in the country, I expect we see a spirited effort from the Trojans, who lost its only two regular season games to Utah in the final minute on the road and again to the Utes in the PAC-12 title game.

The Utes have not been able to sustain any sort of offensive flow between Nate Johnson and Braxton Barnes, which will put the defense in dangerous situations against USC's offense which has the best player in the country in Caleb Williams. While Utah's defense grades out nicely in terms of success rate and EPA/Play, there are some holes in the numbers. The team is bottom half of the coverage in rush defense grading per Pro Football Focus and is outside the top 100 in explosive pass rate.

I think USC runs it up on Utah in a revenge spot for the Trojans.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Track Reed's bets here!

Home/NCAAF Picks