USC vs Oregon State Odds, Picks, Predictions (9/24/22)

The red-hot USC Trojans visit the underrated Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis this weekend after another blow out win last week. The Beavers also won soundly this past weekend too, so this matchup will be very interesting to watch. Let’s take a look at the odds and make some picks and predictions for this game!

USC vs. Oregon State Odds

USC is a 6.5-point favorite on the road and is also at -245 money line. The over/under is also set at 71. USC has, rightfully, gotten a lot of attention for its new offense under Lincoln Riley, but Oregon State has also looked very good on offense so far, so even though the total seems high, it makes sense because these offenses are really good. USC is the better team here on paper so the spread makes sense too because it also is giving some respect to the Beavers.

USC vs. Oregon State Prediction & Pick

The pick: USC -6.5

The Trojans have burst onto the scene this year looking about as good as they were advertised in the off-season. This game will be a harder game for them than any of the other ones that they have played so far. Caleb Williams has been a difference-maker for the Trojans at quarterback and can run this new offense almost perfectly. Williams was the crown-jewel for USC in the transfer portal this off-season, but the Trojans also added a ton of different players to shore up the roster for Lincoln Riley. The other big addition was Jordan Addison at receiver too. The defense has played well, but there are concerns there that could hold USC back in the bigger picture. This will be their first real test, after Jake Haener got injured last week for Fresno State. This will be a test for USC.

Johnathan Smith is a great coach and offensive mind, and he’s going to have this team ready for a big game like this. Chance Nolan runs the offense well at quarterback, and Deshaun Fenwick is a good running back too. The key to the offense though, is how creative Smith can be with it, and the different looks that the Beavers can give teams. The epitome of this is how many different players end up running the ball, all while they still have a very good and efficient passing attack. The Beaver defense has also been better than they were last year, but this is something completely different for them.

This will be USC’s biggest challenge yet, so it is fair to wonder if they are up to the challenge. Corvallis is also, historically, USC’s house of horrors, and this environment won’t be any easier. At the end of the day, this game is going to be very high-scoring and a great game to watch, but expect the Trojans to pull away due to them just having more talent.

USC vs. Oregon State Key Matchups

Can Chance Nolan hold up against this USC secondary? How well will Caleb Williams fair up in Corvailles? Check out the key matchups and mismatches for USC vs Oregon State below.

Chance Nolan vs the USC Passing Defense

Nolan has been very good and efficient this year and he was in a quarterback battle this year too. He has also thrown over 740 yards and has seven touchdowns to two interceptions. He also has a 63% completion percentage so far this year. He threw for over 250 yards against Boise State and then over 215 yards against Fresno State, which are the two FBS teams they have played so far. USC’s defense has stepped up though.

In their first game against Rice, they had four interceptions and three pick-sixes. The best a quarterback has done against them so far was Stanford quarterback, Tanner McKee who had 220 yards against the Trojans. This matchup is big in determining what this outcome will be.

Caleb Williams vs the Oregon State Passing Defense

I am putting this matchup here because there’s been nothing that has been able to contain Caleb Williams in a USC uniform yet. Lincoln Riley has the perfect quarterback to run his offense. Williams has thrown over 870 yards and has eight touchdowns to zero interceptions. He also has a 74% completion percentage so far this year too. The most yards he threw in a game this year was over 340 yards against Stanford.

The Oregon State defense has stepped up a bit this year, but Jake Haener threw for over 360 yards against them and Williams is a step better than Haener. No one has been able to stop this machine of an offense, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Beavers can do anything against it at all.