College Football Week 2 Stanford vs. USC Predictions 9/9/17
Is Stanford a good underdog play tonight against USC?
The Matchup: Stanford (1-0) vs. USC (1-0), 8:30PM ET
According to oddsmakers, the Trojans are a 6-point favorite to win tonight at home. The Cardinal opened as a 5-point underdog but the line was bet up a full point. As for the total, the number hit the board at 54.5 before moving to 55.
Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal has dominated this series of late. David Shaw’s team has won three straight and seven of its last nine games against the Trojans. One of those meetings came in the 2015 Pac-12 title game. Since 2007, Stanford has eight wins against USC. No other team has more than five according to ESPN.com.
Since Shaw took over in 2011, Stanford is 18-8 when the Cardinal and its opponent are both ranked in the AP Poll.
USC Trojans
Heisman hopeful Sam Darnold struggled against Western Michigan last Saturday. He was sacked twice in a game for the first time in his career. He also matched a career-high with two interceptions and failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since his first career start on September 23 at Utah.
That said, while Darnold struggled, Ronald Jones II rushed for a game-high 159 yards and three touchdowns. It was Jones’ fourth straight 100-yard rushing game at home.
Our Prediction
Stanford had the week off after thumping Rice in Australia on August 26. That’s an extra week to prepare for USC. The Cardinal didn’t miss a beat without Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey against the Owls. Shaw’s offense gained 656 yards, which was the seventh-highest total in school history and the most since 1999 against UCLA.
The Cardinal is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven road games versus the Trojans. They are also 8-3 at the betting window in their last 11 games overall versus USC. Finally, the underdog is 8-3 against the number in the last 11 meetings between these two teams.
College Football Week 2 Prediction: Stanford Cardinal +6
