The USC Trojans have failed to impress all season long. They have been regarded as one of the four or five best teams in the country every week, but did little to earn that esteem with their on the field play. USC finally played poorly enough to lose last week on the road in Pullman. Washington State was able to make this team pay for Sam Darnold’s poor play, holding USC’s offense down just enough to get the win. This week, the Trojans will look to bounce back against the doormats of the PAC 12, the Oregon State Beavers.
This matchup in Week 6 of the regular season will take place on Saturday, October 7, 2017,
at 4 p.m. ET at L.A. Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. This game will be broadcast on PAC 12 Network.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oregon State +34
USC -34
Odds Analysis
The Beavers are 0-5 ATS this season and their lone win came against FCS Portland State. Oregon State has gotten hammered by every FBS team it has played so far, with its closest loss being a 52-23 defeat at the hands of Washington State. This team has been listless on offense and a sieve on defense, a combination that does not work well at any level of football.
USC is just 1-4 ATS on the year with the lone win coming against Stanford. Other than that, this program has once again failed to live up to expectations. The Trojans needed to rally against Western Michigan, struggled against Cal, and barely squeaked by Texas before their loss to Washington State.
Player to Watch
Sam Darnold has failed to live up to expectations as a Heisman Trophy contender. Darnold has only thrown one more touchdown than interception this season and his other numbers are down across the board.
Darnold had his worst game yet against Washington State last week, completing just over 50 percent of his passes and failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second time all season.
Prior to the season, he was seen as a potential No. 1 overall draft pick, a laughable claim these days. The assertion that he was better than Josh Rosen seems foolish as Rosen has continually pulled out games despite having much less talent around him than Darnold. Oregon State isn’t great by any stretch and he should respond well here.
Key Stats
There isn’t a category that Oregon State is particularly good in. The defense is outside the Top 100 in every major category and the offense isn’t much better. The Beavers are 92nd in the country in rushing offense, their best figure compared to the rest of the teams in the nation by far.
The Gary Andersen experiment has not worked well at all. Oregon State was considered to have landed a big fish when the former Wisconsin head coach came out to Corvallis following the departure of Mike Riley. He has been a disappointment in every way unfortunately, and it’s time to check his buyout figure after this season.
Free ATS Pick
USC should roll in this one. The Trojans are a much better team than the Beavers and have much more skill across the board. They are playing at home and will be able to let out all the aggression from the last few weeks in this one.
Beating up on Oregon State won’t fix the underlying problems with this USC team, but it will help calm down the grumblings of some of the boosters. Expect a blowout win by USC in this one by some stupid margin, as Sam Darnold has his best game yet against a defense that is woefully outmatched. Oregon State will be fortunate to hold USC to under 50 in this one.
College Football Odds: USC 52, Oregon State 13
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
