USC’s first trip into Big Ten play comes with the kind of betting line that tells you exactly how the market sees this matchup: the Trojans are heavy favorites against Rutgers.
USC is 3-0, unbeaten at home, and up to No. 12 in the AP Top 25 after climbing two spots. Now the Trojans leave California for the first time this season, heading to New Jersey to face the 0-2 Scarlet Knights on Sept.
- CBS will televise the game at 12:30 p.m.
PT.
The numbers around this one are lopsided across the board. ESPN Analytics gives Southern Cal a 95.8 percent chance to win.
DraftKings has USC at -3200 on the moneyline, while FanDuel sits at -4500 and Caesars at -5000. BetMGM has not posted odds yet.
Kalshi traders are backing USC at 94 percent, and Fanatics Markets is at the same 94 percent mark, even though Fanatics Sportsbook has not released its line.
The spread and total are just as aggressive. DraftKings lists the over/under at 57.5, with USC’s over priced at -112, and has the Trojans as 24.5-point favorites at -112 to cover.
FanDuel is a touch lower on the total at 55.5, with USC over at -110, and has USC favored by 25.5 points at -114 to cover. Caesars matches the 57.5 total, puts USC over at -104, and also has the Trojans laying 24.5 points at -114 to cover.
Still, there’s enough in USC’s profile to make bettors think twice about the number. The Trojans have scored 130 points over their last three games, but they’ve been shaky against the spread.
They were 1-1 entering Week 2, then slipped after the 49-30 result, and now sit 1-2 ATS. Team Rankings puts that at a 33.3 percent cover rate and -5.2 ATS.
The defense has been inconsistent too. In his Sept. 12 postgame press conference, Lincoln Riley said plenty of players got a chance to see the field, particularly on defense. In the second half against Louisiana, USC gave up 20 points and 237 total yards.
Through Week 3, the Trojans have allowed 56 points. But the unit has also shown its ceiling, most clearly in the Week 1 shutout of Fresno State, when USC allowed just 116 yards and piled up five sacks, seven tackles for loss, a forced fumble, an interception and two safeties.
As conference play begins, there’s at least a chance USC tightens things up and leans more on its starters and top rotation pieces. The Trojans will do it against a Rutgers team that also lost to Massachusetts.
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USC May Have Found The Missing Piece In Its Passing Game
USC spent Saturday looking for answers in the passing game, and freshman tight end Walker Lyons Bowman offered a convincing one. He led the Trojans in receiving with six catches for 83 yards in the 49-30 win over Louisiana, then topped it off with his first two career touchdowns, giving USC a much-needed middle-of-the-field threat and a different kind of target for Jayden Maiava.
Bowman became the first USC tight end to score multiple touchdowns in a game since 2022, and the early production came with a caveat after he was held out in the second half following a heavy hit. Still, the performance was enough to draw praise from Lincoln Riley, who pointed to Bowmans playmaking ability, while Bowman credited the offensive line and Maiava for helping make the night happen. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Left USC Fans Watching One Key Concern After Win
USCs 49-30 win over Louisiana on Sept. 12 came with enough offense to settle plenty of nerves, but the early 3-0 hole and the sluggish opening stretch gave Lincoln Riley a familiar postgame talking point. Afterward, Riley pointed to the slow start, praised the impact of several freshmen, and singled out tight end Mark Bowman as part of the reason the Trojans were able to steady themselves and take control of the game.
Still, the cleanest takeaway was not the final margin but the checklist Riley left behind. He noted the penalties that kept USC from looking sharper for longer stretches and also offered an update on defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewarts injury status, while sounding encouraged by the way the roster is starting to reveal more depth. The win moved the Trojans forward, but it also left one of the seasons early questions hanging in plain view: how quickly USC can turn promising pieces into a more consistent, disciplined team. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Fast Start Comes With One Big Question Fans Cant Ignore
Southern Californias 49-30 win over Louisiana gave Lincoln Riley another reminder of how dangerous this offense can look when it is clicking early in the season. Jayden Maiava guided the attack efficiently, the Trojans piled up 494 yards and improved to 3-0, while Riley pointed to both the performance and the challenge of getting new pieces fully settled into the rotation.
The big-play profile was obvious throughout the afternoon, with Trent Mosley helping swing momentum as a receiver and on special teams, and Mark Bowman continuing to emerge as part of the passing game. For all the production, though, the broader question around USC is whether this fast start is showing a team that has already found its identity, or one still waiting for the pieces to truly come together. [Read more 🡒]