All the preseason talk about this being the year USC climbs back to prominence in college football was muzzled by Stanford last week. And if it seems like coach Steve Sarkisian is feeling the heat today, he’ll be standing in front of a flame thrower if the Trojans start the year 0-2 in Pac-12 play. The Sun Devils were overrated at the start of the year and fell out of the rankings after a blowout loss to Texas AM in the opener, but they are always ready to take on the Men of Troy.
ODDS
USC hit the board as a 5.5-point favorite with the total at 63. The line was wagered to -6 but quickly came back down to its opening spread. The total jumped a half point to 63.5. ASU is 0-3 ATS this season and 0-5 ATS in its last five.
KEY MISMATCH
Offense wasn’t the problem last week for USC. The Trojans dropped 31 on Stanford, just the third time in the last three-plus seasons anyone has scored that much against the Cardinal. Cody Kessler is one of the premiere quarterbacks in college football, ranked second in the nation in completion percentage at 78.7 and 14th with 922 passing yards. He was 25 of 32 for 272 yards last weekend, and has 10 touchdowns without an interception in 101 attempts. He’s searching for his first victory over Arizona State in three tries. His favorite target is JuJu Smith-Schuster, fifth in receiving yards per game with 144.7 on 22 catches and four touchdowns and he didn’t even play the second half in USC’s opening two wins. A mammoth offensive line paves the way for a trio of talented running backs in Tre Madden, Justin Davis and Ronald Jones III. The Trojans are averaging better than 557 yards of offense. ASU surrendered 284 yards on the ground to lower-division Cal Poly two weeks ago.
KEY STAT
11 – Quarterback sacks allowed by ASU. The Sun Devils are next to last in the FBS in this category. USC had three sacks last week and has totaled five on the year.
BETTING ANGLE
As a native Southern Californian, Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovici circles the game against the Trojans on his calendar every year. Last year, the kid from Calabasas played the game of his life in the stunning upset of USC. And he may not be who the Trojans want to see after their defense was picked apart by Stanford last week. Bercovici threw for a career-high 510 yards and five scores, rallying the Sun Devils from a nine-point deficit in the final 2:43 for their second straight win in the series. ASU scored three times in the final four minutes with Bercovici connecting on a Hail Mary on the final play to cap the amazing comeback. ASU has won three of the last four meetings, including two straight, and is 5-1 ATS in its last six versus USC.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This really is a wake up game for USC and they’ll need to respond after getting shellacked by Stanford last week. They are much better defensively than what they showed and defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox will get the players to play. A video of last year’s Hail Mary loss to ASU was also probably shown in the tape room at some point this week, to remind and inspire the guys. Kessler and the offense shouldn’t have a problem moving the ball and if the D comes up with a few stops or creates a turnover – something they haven’t done in two weeks – the Trojans should escape with a victory. The Sun Devils entered the year as an overrated team, ranked in the top 25 and picked to finish at the top of Pac-12 South, they were humbled by Texas AM before barely getting by Cal Poly and putting forth a lackluster effort in a win over New Mexico. Sure they’ll be fired up for this one, but so will the Trojans.
USC 38, Arizona State 28
BookMaker opened the spread for this game at -5.5 in favor of the Trojans. The NCAA lines total surfaced at 63. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the USC Trojans and Arizona State Sun Devils will take place Saturday, September 26, 2015, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Sun Devil Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
