The USC Trojans got the better of the Stanford Cardinal when these two teams met back in Week 2, but there is a lot more on the line this time around as they face off off in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Trojans are 10-2 and have a four-game winning streak coming into this rematch, although they aren’t really in the college football playoff conversation so this game doesn’t have huge ramifications.
Stanford is 9-3, with two of those losses coming in the first three weeks of the season, and finished atop the Pac-12 North even though Washington was the team favored to win in the preseason. The Pac-12 title game has traditionally been a blowout but these two teams are pretty evenly matched and this one is expected to be competitive.
This contest in Week 15 of the regular season will go down Friday, December 1, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Stanford +3
USC -3
Over/Under 57.5
Odds Analysis
USC is a slight field goal favorite and is currently garnering about two-thirds of the action. The scoring total seems pretty well pegged as both the under and the over are getting equal money.
Stanford plays in lower-scoring games but USC has a star quarterback in Sam Darnold who can throw the ball anywhere on the field, and he may be able to lead the Trojans quickly down the field.
Last Matchup
When these two teams met back on September 9th, USC led from the jump and never looked back, capturing a 42-24 win over its conference foe. The win marked the first time USC had beaten Stanford in three years.
A big first half was the difference for the Trojans in that first matchup as they scored 28 points. It was a balanced effort on offense as USC accumulated 307 yards on the ground and 316 in the air.
Stephen Carr and Ronald Jones II were the go-to guys on the ground, accounting for 235 of those rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinal offense managed just 342 total yards on offense and the defense struggled to slow down the Trojans, who used an array of weapons in the victory.
Player To Watch
Darnold —USC’s sophomore quarterback threw for 316 yards and four touchdowns the first time around against Stanford. He also had two interceptions in that game, however.
Darnold has thrown for 3,462 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Half of those came in the first three games so the young player has shown improvement in that area as the season has worn on, but it’s still an issue.
With a young quarterback commanding the offense, some bad decisions are to be expected, but turnovers are certainly something to watch against a Stanford defense that has 16 interceptions on the year. The Cardinal defense must make an effort to try and contain Darnold in this one and also come up with a few plays on that side of the ball as well.
Darnold has great tools and is expected to be a high pick in the NFL draft if he chooses to come out after this season. A great performance in this once could raise his stock.
Free ATS Pick
Stanford is playing well and has a star running back in Bryce Love. USC will need to contain him in order to come away with a victory as easy as the first one. However, the more likely scenario is a stronger effort from Stanford.
USC has the best quarterback in this game but the Cardinal should dominate on the ground. It’s an interesting matchup and one in which Stanford is a good choice both to cover and to pull the upset. The “under” is the easy choice.
College Football Odds: Stanford 27, USC 24
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