The USC Trojans may have started the season slowly, but they are one of the hottest teams not just in the Pac-12 but the entire country right now. USC is fresh off a win over previously-undefeated Washington and will aim to keep rolling in a Week 12 matchup with the UCLA Bruins.
USC can keep alive its chances at a Pac-12 South championship by knocking off a reeling UCLA team. Even though the Bruins are at home, it is the Trojans who are substantial favorites in this showdown.
Watch this regular season Week 12 matchup live on Saturday, November 19, 2016, at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
USC -11
UCLA +11
Over/Under 51.5
Odds Analysis
USC has played so well and UCLA struggled so much of late that a game that was supposed to be competitive may not be. The Trojans are favored by 11 points and they will aim to cover and leave with a blowout win.
USC is taking in nearly 90 percent of the money to cover, so the betting public clearly believes in its recent hot streak. The scoring total is lower than most games and the “over” is currently getting more of the action.
USC is 7-3 on the season after starting the year 1-3. It is 6-3-1 against the spread and has covered five times in six tries as the favorite. The Trojans pushed in the other contest so they have been really good as the favorite.
UCLA is 4-6 straight up and has gone 2-7-1 against the spread this year. The Bruins were expected to compete for the conference title but have gone just 2-5 in Pac-12 games and are underdogs again.
Player to Watch
Mike Fafaul - The UCLA backup quarterback got his first win last week against Oregon State. His stats weren’t overwhelming as he was just 25-of-47 for 281 yards with an interception, but the victory was much-needed for the redshirt senior who had lost four straight since starter Josh Rosen went down.
UCLA certainly took a big blow after losing Rosen, and Fafaul needs to have a really good showing in order to give his team a chance at pulling off the upset. The Trojans haven’t given up more than 24 points in any of their past six games and shut down a prolific Washington offense last time out. Fafaul will certainly need to earn it if he plays well in this one.
Key Stat
Six. That’s how many games USC has won in a row after starting the season 1-3. Included in that streak is the 21-17 win over No. 21 Colorado on October 8th and last week’s 26-13 upset of No. 4 Washington.
The Trojans had a tough start to the season, facing three nationally-ranked teams in the first four weeks including No. 1 Alabama. However, since then the team has been red hot with an offense that’s averaging 37.6 points a game.
USC needs Colorado to lose a conference game down the stretch in order to win the division, but a win here will keep that a possibility.
Free ATS Pick
It’s hard to go against USC in this one. The Trojans are playing extremely well on both sides of the ball and have really hit their groove with quarterback Sam Darnold in place. He has thrown for 2,161 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season and will look to keep it up.
UCLA has had trouble remaining competitive without Rosen and even though the Bruins are at home, they are inferior on both sides of the ball.
The Trojans will keep up their excellent play with an easy win in this one, covering the double-digit spread in the process.
College Football Odds: USC 31, UCLA 17
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