.jpg "College Football ATS Picks – No. 14 Stanford at No. 6 USC")
The Stanford Cardinal started the season down under, defeating Rice 62-7 in a game held in Sydney, Australia two weeks ago. After a week off, the team should be well rested entering this big Pac-12 matchup against the USC Trojans in Week 2 of the college football campaign.
The Trojans are also 1-0 on the season after defeating Western Michigan 49-31 in the season opener last week. USC struggled to take control until late and must be much sharper in this matchup against a talented opponent. The conference is hard to figure at this point but if either team dominates this game it could be the one to beat moving forward.
This contest in Week 2 of the regular season will go down Saturday, September 9, 2017, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Los Angeles Memorial Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Stanford +6.5
USC -6.5
Over/Under 56
Odds Analysis
The Cardinal is nearly a touchdown underdog on the road in this one, but the bettors don’t think the Trojans will cover as Stanford is getting wagered on at a 76 percent clip against the spread. The scoring total is pretty high for a game involving Stanford, and the early money is still jumping on the “over” nearly three-quarters of the time.
Stanford is +207 on the moneyline, which is an intriguing bet. Most of the early wagers have chosen the Cardinals to pull off the upset. USC is a -250 favorite, and most are preferring to bet on the Trojans against the spread rather than at these odds.
Stanford has won three straight games and seven of the last 10 in this rivalry, but the Trojans are favored to take care of business this time around.
Player to Watch
Sam Darnold -- The USC quarterback is expected to be in the running for the Heisman Trophy. He had an outstanding sophomore season and could be a top pick in the NFL draft if he continues on this path.
Darnold threw for 3,086 yards with 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2016, and it is his presence which has helped put USC in the conversation as one of the best teams in the country. It was a slow start to 2017 for Darnold, though.
He was just 23-of-33 passing for 289 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the win over Western Michigan. Darnold completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, to that’s a good sign, but it was a poor outing.
Stanford’s defense can be really tough, so he will have to be much more efficient if the Trojans plan to win this game and cover.
Key Stat
14. That’s Stanford’s ranking in the Associated Press’ Top-25 poll, while the Trojans sit at No. 6. Washington sits at No. 7, and these seem to be the three best teams in the Pac-12. If one of them plays well throughout the year it could mean a run at a national championship, and this is a critical early-season matchup for both sides.
Stanford doesn’t have the same star power at quarterback as USC, but has a strong running game even after the departure of Christian McCaffrey. Bryce Love dominated in the opener with 13 carries for 180 yards against Rice and USC must slow him down.
Free ATS Pick
This all comes down to how well Darnold can bounce back after a poor opener. The Trojans are lucky they played an inferior foe last time out but won’t have the luxury of struggling in this one.
Darnold should be better, but Stanford’s physicality should be the difference. Take the Cardinal to pull off the upset in an entertaining affair.
College Football Odds: Stanford 31, USC 27
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