Upcoming Match-ups

USC vs Stanford Odds, Preview & Prediction

Blair Johnson

by Blair Johnson in College Football

Updated Sep 8, 2022 · 8:58 AM PDT

USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams carries the ball
Sep 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) carries the ball against the Rice Owls in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
  • USC is an 8-point favorite over Stanford in this Pac-12 clash in Palo Alto on Saturday
  • The Cardinal are 4-1 over their last five home games against the Trojans
  • Read below for USC vs Stanford odds, analysis, and betting prediction

USC is an 8-point favorite in its 2022 Pac-12 opener against in-state rival Stanford on The Farm in Palo Alto, California on Saturday (September 10th) at 7:30 pm ET on ABC. The Cardinal are 4-1 over their last five home games against the Trojans.

Meantime, USC is only 2-6 ATS in the last eight series meetings, while the over has hit four of the last five times.

Let’s analyze the USC vs Stanford odds and find the best bet for Saturday’s Week 2 game.

USC vs Stanford Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
USC Trojans -8 (-109) -360 O 67 (-110)
Stanford Cardinal +8 (-112) +270 U 67 (-110)

Odds as of September 7th at Barstool Sportsbook

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USC is -360 on the moneyline in the college football odds, meaning they have 78.3% implied win probability.

The Life of Riley

So far, so good one game into the Lincoln Riley Era at Southern California. USC scored 52 points in the middle quarters on its way to a 66-14 rout of Rice in Week 1 that included four interceptions by its defense — three of which were returned for touchdowns (tying a conference and program record). The team’s two marquee transfers — quarterback Caleb Williams (Oklahoma) and reigning Biletnikoff  winner Jordan Addison (Pittsburgh) — connected on a pair of scores.

Williams also accounted for a team-high 68 yards rushing against the Owls while another transfer — former Stanford tailback Austin Jones — tallied 48 yards on the ground on just four carries, reaching the end zone twice. Jones, a Bay Area native, will surely be motivated to have a standout performance on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the No. 10 team in the country will try to win in a place that has been unkind to the storied blueblood recently. But if USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch can keep adding to his clear goal of forcing 24 turnovers this season, the Trojans should be on their way to another victory.

Stanford Off the Schnide

The Cardinal snapped a seven-game losing streak that ended an ugly 2021 season with a feel-good 41-10 romp over FCS school Colgate.  Stanford head coach David Shaw  — who has a built a program known for its standout ground game year in and year out — saw his team rush for 169 yards against the Raiders. Even though it came against a marginal opponent, the Cardinal’s ground production was a vast improvement over the previous campaign. The group’s 86.9 rushing yards per game last season were the third-fewest among Power 5 conference teams and the fewest in the Pac-12.

Running back E.J. Smith – Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt’s son — got the win started  18 seconds into the game with an 87-yard scamper to paydirt, the first of his two touchdown runs. He had 118 yards on 11 carries.

Stanford outgained Colgate 497-218 in total yards, with quarterback Tanner McKee going 22-of-27 passing for 308 yards and a pair of touchdowns. McKee, like many of his teammates last season, was hit by the injury bug — spurring a 3-9 record that was just the second sub-.500 campaign on The Farm since 2009. NFL scouts love McKee’s tools and Saturday’s contest should be an interesting duel between him and Williams.

Defensively, the Cardinal run a new 4-3 scheme and looked good in Week 1 slowing down the run. They also showed flashes of the “Party in the Backfield” heydey — by pressuring the quarterback and registering a pair of sacks.

USC vs Stanford Prediction

This one seems like an utter mismatch. Plus, with Utah and Oregon’s respective losses in Week 1, USC appears to be the Pac-12’s best hope for a possible College Football Playoff appearance.

But the Cardinal have been playing the Trojans tough for the last 15 years, dating back to perhaps the greatest upset in college football history in 2007. USC has just six wins over its rival to the north in the past 16 meetings. However, based on overall talent, the Trojans should prevail in this spot and cover.

The pick: USC -8 (-109)

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